SOURING Synonyms: 98 Similar and Opposite Words

souring 1 of 2

noun

as in estrangement

the loss of friendship or affection the souring of the business partnership led to an ugly legal battle

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souring

2 of 2

verb

present participle of sour

as in angering

to cause to change from friendly or loving to unfriendly or uncaring a misunderstanding that soured their relationship for a long time

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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 souring

Noun

The results are part of a larger souring of opinion towards AI, with other recent polling by YouGov and The Economist finding that more than half of Americans say AI development is happening too fast, and that the technology is largely unlikely to deliver significant universal economic gains. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 19 May 2026 The souring of their relationship has at times bordered on the petty and personal. — David Ingram, NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026 When Mares went to work at the Ford Plant on his first three days, he was fired, charges state — adding to their souring relationship. — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026 Holly Wade, executive director of research for the National Federation of Independent Business, said the souring of sentiment among small business owners is directly tied to the rising prices of energy, a major input cost for their operations. — Cory Smith, Baltimore Sun, 15 Apr. 2026 Similarly, in 2023 pandas living in the Edinburgh Zoo were returned to China, a move some believe may have been connected to the souring relationship between China and the United Kingdom. — Chinatsu Tsuji, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026 Isak's partner in his later years, professional golfer Estefanía Knuth, reportedly played a role in the souring of this relationship, per the investigative sources. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025 This led to a souring of relations between New Delhi and Washington and was compounded by Modi sharing a stage with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in China. — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025 Which sharks would best and least tolerate souring seas remains an open question. — Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2025

Verb

Ideally for Detroit, the team will cement both players as franchise pillars without souring any relationships over contract value. — Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Per People, Oxenberg was candid about her role souring her relationship with the royal family. — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 23 Aug. 2026 The industry’s promises AI companies are acutely aware of the souring views toward data centers, and several have made pledges to try and assure Americans that their buildouts will benefit the country. — Ashley Capoot,garrett Downs, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 But their sticker shock for American consumers is becoming increasingly clear – just as economic sentiment is souring ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections. — Kent Jones, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026 No stomping rhythms here, no shrill blasts in unison, no sweaty masculinity souring the air, no red faces. — Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026 The souring market conditions have brought cling peach acreage down from 19,900 acres in 2014 to 13,300 acres in 2025, according to USDA estimates. — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2026 The mix-up may have contributed to souring the communication between the legal teams of the companies, whose relationship appears to be increasingly frayed. — NBC news, 15 July 2026 For retailers and brands, the implications include direct attacks on their customers that can severely damage the relationship by souring the shopping experience. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 7 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for souring

Noun

Trauma and tragedies—such as the death of his parents, or periods of estrangement from his siblings—receive less scrutiny than the emotions unlocked by Virginia Woolf or Roland Barthes.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
The half-hour series is a dark revenge comedy about Emma and Eli, old friends who reconnect after a long estrangement and find new purpose in taking down the man who tore them apart.

— Peter White, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of estrangement

Verb

Rebecca regrets angering Matthijs (Matteo van der Grijn) after putting his daughter in the middle of a heated discussion around the possibility of Matthijs moving to London.

— Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of angering

Verb

How Mayor Bass could reach Pratt voters The Bass and Raman campaigns could rely on outside spending groups and campaign surrogates — political allies who lean to the right of the candidates — to avoid alienating their core supporters.

— Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Qualley holds this all together with a tricky performance that sometimes is actually alienating.

— Pete Hammond, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of alienating

Noun

She’s haunted by her divorce from Donn, and her greatest fear is being alone, which is becoming more and more of a real possibility, especially since her family has largely moved away.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
The family’s alienation and the father’s divorce from the narrator’s mother are revealed through asides.

— Anna Mebel, JSTOR Daily, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of divorce

Verb

That makes Union Town more cumulatively powerful at minute 106 than at any single point, no matter how sad or harrowing or infuriating the stories and experiences are.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of infuriating

Noun

Advanced robotics and a rapid rollout of AI should counter the shrinking workforce, while creating enough new jobs to keep youth disaffection at bay.

— Ben Bland, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Their disaffection can create a culture of hopelessness and emotional stasis that lasts well past any economic recovery.

— Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of disaffection

Browse Nearby Words

sour grapes

souring

sourish

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“Souring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/souring. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of souring

noun

verb

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