as in to anger
to cause to change from friendly or loving to unfriendly or uncaring
a misunderstanding that soured their relationship for a long time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in acidic
causing or characterized by the one of the four basic taste sensations that is produced chiefly by acids
the sour candy made our mouths all wrinkly inside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
you'll have to face up to the sour truth of the matter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
things started off well, but now it's all gone sour
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of sour
Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
With the Epstein files, a feeling that has long been souring appears to now be way past its expiry date.
—Ola Morris Innset, The Dial, 2 June 2026
Oliver Renick, CNBC, 9 June 2026
For the most part, CTA personnel act with grace and politeness, although the sour drivers can influence the riders’ experiences as well.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sour
Verb
In the decade that followed, relations soured.
—Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
With the Epstein files, a feeling that has long been souring appears to now be way past its expiry date.
—Ola Morris Innset, The Dial, 2 June 2026
Adjective
Even trading in the Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) – which had been seeing more persistent call-buying and more balanced volumes overall – started to turn sour as Tuesday's session worsened.
—Oliver Renick, CNBC, 9 June 2026
For the most part, CTA personnel act with grace and politeness, although the sour drivers can influence the riders’ experiences as well.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sour
Verb
-
That angered the Cincinnati NAACP, who wanted council's makeup to reflect what voters wanted.—
Sharon Coolidge,
The Enquirer,
3 July 2025
-
While Massie and Fitzpatrick were the only GOP members to vote no, several House GOP hardliners were angered by the changes made to the bill by the Senate and there was an overnight scramble by Speaker Mike Johnson to secure the necessary support to proceed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
The acidic nature of coffee can be a source of discomfort for people with acid reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).—
Christina Manian,
Health,
10 June 2026
-
These involve removal of thorium from REE containing acidic solution, as well as the selective extraction of REEs using oxalic acid.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
This is a fundamentally pleasant book for unpleasant times, the kind of novel in which a car breaks down and that turns out to be exactly what should have happened.—
Jacob Brogan,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2026
-
The jar’s odor wasn’t totally unpleasant, says Pederson.—
RJ Mackenzie,
Popular Science,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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The third strand of anti-vaccine advocacy, that compelling vaccine use is unacceptable, is a philosophical claim, not one of fact.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Allowing the status quo to remain is simply unacceptable.—
Catherine Blakespear,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 June 2026
Verb
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And if Earth isn’t the only planet that hosts life, where are the others, and what might alien life look like, anyway?—
Josh Fischman,
Scientific American,
2 June 2026
-
Zuniga pulls from a sonic palette that feels familiar one moment and alien the next.—
Vrinda Jagota,
Pitchfork,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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It is adorned in Lake Como silks and a palette of pale blue, pistachio, and acid yellow.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
17 Nov. 2025
-
The idea of dissolving the self in an acid bath of erotic imagery was not, in the end, so unappealing.—
Daniel Kolitz,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The ruling adds to a string of legal setbacks for Musk in his increasingly bitter feud with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2026
-
Ballot returns released Friday put an end to a bitter, expensive race defined by issues of public safety and homelessness.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Sure, or shoplifting or anything that feels sinful or wrong.—
Sharyn Alfonsi,
CBS News,
8 Dec. 2025
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As the first half of the 2025 Border War men’s basketball game was winding down Sunday afternoon at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, the Missouri Tigers found themselves on the wrong end of a 12-2 run by the Kansas Jayhawks.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
7 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sour. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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