POLARIZING Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

polarizing

verb

Definition of polarizing next

present participle of polarize

as in dividing

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 polarizing Next up, Kostadinov is fusing the brand’s high-tech performance running engineering with an ever-polarizing split-toe tabi construction. —

Riley Jones, Footwear News, 19 Feb. 2026 Greene gained notoriety as a staunch Trump supporter in Congress and was often under fire for polarizing comments and conspiratorial beliefs. —

Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026 Hudson pushed fashion boundaries with a serving of whimsy, stepping out at the 2026 Independent Spirit Awards in a peplum top that maximized the polarizing 2010s trend. —

Lara Walsh, InStyle, 16 Feb. 2026 Political leaders sometimes have used polarizing rhetoric that makes compromise more difficult across levels of government. —

Harry Boyte, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for polarizing

Recent Examples of Synonyms for polarizing

dividing

Verb

The median offers a more accurate view of what's happening in a market than the average sales price, which would mean taking the sum of all sales prices then dividing by the number of homes sold.

— USA TODAY Network, Florida Times-Union, 7 Mar. 2026
In this one, the death of a young woman ends up dividing its citizens, stoking rumors and accusations.

— Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2026