See the Dictionary Definition 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for setting (against)
Verb
-
The gap between what Greg and I did—and, more importantly, thought about—became a gigantic infuriating cavern for me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026 -
In San Francisco, a Waymo vehicle struck and killed a bodega cat in the city’s Mission District last fall, infuriating residents.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Scalping tickets wasn’t new, of course, but Kahn believed that its formalization online provided sports teams, and other entertainment businesses, with valuable information about demand that could enable them to make more money without alienating their most loyal fans.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
In the sanitized and alienating new surrounds, with the camaraderie of the early Hyperion days but a faint memory, long-simmering discontent about working conditions wouldn’t take long to boil over.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
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
Verb
-
Orbán had vetoed the bill after initially agreeing to it, enraging EU officials and counterparts across the 27-nation bloc.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
But every single thing that is enraging us about what’s going on at the federal level is also happening right here in Tarrant County.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
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
Verb
-
This is the premise of The Exit 8, a Japanese video game made by Kotake Create that, as the millions who played it will attest, turns a commuter’s endless circling into a thrilling, maddening first-person-shooter minus the shooting.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The science of color is also maddening for the same reason.—
Kory Stamper,
Longreads,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mamdani’s also done an about-face on the city’s rental assistance program, CityFHEPs, angering progressive allies.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
This causes a rift within the family, particularly angering the eldest son, Erik, who feels deeply betrayed.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
My ila facial was pure joy—no painful extraction or aggravating scrubs here.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
There might be more than one bench spot to be won on the opening-day roster, as infielder Sung-Mun Song has not swung a bat since aggravating a right oblique strain on Sunday.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Setting (against).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setting%20%28against%29. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
