1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

setting (against)

verb

Definition of setting (against)next
present participle of set (against)
as in infuriating

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for setting (against)
  1. infuriating
  2. alienating
  3. estranging
  4. enraging
  5. incensing
  6. maddening
  7. angering
  8. aggravating
Verb
  • But maybe that low point and the unexpected departure of Stokes and the return of Joe Root as Test captain ahead of the white-ball skipper has proved a turning point for one of the most gifted but infuriating batters of his generation.
    — Paul Newman, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • There are a variety of reasons for this — from reasonable to infuriating — why those who paid higher prices won’t be getting refunds.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of infuriating
Verb
  • Ukraine’s former defense minister is launching a military tech company backed by Palantir CEO Alex Karp, a decision that risks alienating Kyiv’s European backers.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Democrats face the opposite challenge because protecting communities and natural resources may come at the cost of alienating workers who see data centers as the source of some of the best employment opportunities available to them.
    — Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of alienating
Verb
  • So, how can an organization remain current on customers' ever-changing needs and expectations without annoying or estranging them?
    — Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Definition of estranging
Verb
  • North Carolina and Bill Belichick got zero, no doubt enraging girlfriend Jordon Hudson.
    — Greg Cote August 2, Miami Herald, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Before the agreement was announced, Israeli forces struck in Beirut, enraging Trump, who has publicly expressed his fury with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
    — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 15 June 2026
Definition of enraging
Verb
  • On the other hand, the Department of Justice redacted the names of several people who are not survivors -- incensing not only members of Congress but also survivors of Epstein's crimes who charge that the administration is engaged in a cover-up.
    — John Parkinson, ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Amid the crackdown, Renee Good, 37, and Alex Pretti, 37, were both shot and killed by federal immigration authorities in separate confrontations, incensing large swaths of the nation.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 30 Jan. 2026
Definition of incensing
Verb
  • Anthony Richardson possessed almost extraterrestrial talent but maddening inconsistency.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Prices remain high and the roads maddening, but few Mediterranean islands offer so many convincing ways to reach sunrise.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of maddening
Verb
  • Two go-their-own-way Democrats bucked the party on a routine procedural vote, angering colleagues and raising a red flag about potential party divisions to come.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • However, Gemini halted withdrawals from its Earn program in November 2022, angering some of its more than 300,000 users.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of angering
Verb
  • Stowers, who has 18 home runs, missed the first 21 games of the season with a right hamstring strain, then missed nearly two weeks in August after re-aggravating that injury.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Sacramento Superior Court jurors also found true allegations of aggravating factors and a sentencing enhancement for multiple victims, prosecutors said.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggravating
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.

Browse Nearby Words

setting about
setting (against)
setting apart
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Setting (against).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setting%20%28against%29. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of quorum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All