polarizes

present tense third-person singular of polarize
as in divides
to cause (people) to break up into opposing groups A hot button issue that is sure to polarize the public.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of polarizes Content that outrages, polarizes or triggers anxiety keeps us watching. Avital Pardo, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 But the White House is also risking a wider fracture over an issue that rarely polarizes the GOP. David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026 As technology distracts, polarizes and automates, people are still finding refuge on analog islands in the digital sea. Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025 The group polarizes into shifting alliances as battle lines are drawn and re-drawn throughout the dinner party, the conflict between and within the women serving as choreography for the shifting relationships. Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polarizes
divides
Verb
  • What unites us as Americans is far greater than what divides us.
    Marc Andersen, Fortune, 30 June 2026
  • What divides them is the type of finance work being transformed.
    Aswin Saravanan, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Polarizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polarizes. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on polarizes

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!