souring 1 of 2

souring

2 of 2

verb

present participle of sour

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
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 Several wildfires are raging across Colorado and souring skies with smoke. Sarah Matusek, Christian Science Monitor, 7 July 2026 After months of souring views driven in part by a surge in gas prices, Americans are feeling more and more optimistic about the economy, according to new data released Friday. Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 26 June 2026 And public opinion on data centers is souring considerably. Scott Cohn, CNBC, 22 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 The potential electoral wipeout may spur a leadership challenge, with the political uncertainty likely further souring investors. Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 7 May 2026 The downturn in the president's job approval is largely attributable to souring opinions about the state of the nation's economy and the progression of the United States' joint war on Iran, according to the outlet. Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for souring
Noun
  • Shifting baseline syndrome was initially considered an evocative parable of humans’ estrangement from wild nature—a warning in the form of a hypothesis.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
  • One source told People Elizabeth visited both brothers after their estrangement from one another.
    Emma Banks, InStyle, 7 July 2026
Verb
  • Leaders of the Maine Democratic Party are still working toward a process to replace Graham Platner, without angering his supporters.
    Dan Merica, Washington Post, 9 July 2026
  • The mayor floated the idea to place Williams on probation for six months, angering the city manager’s supporters in the crowd.
    Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
Noun
  • In this attitude was a strange commingling of repugnance and desire, alienation and belonging, intimacy and coldness.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 July 2026
  • Yet the men are wrenched apart, and the culprit seems to be nothing less than a hostile world, one marked by material scarcity and insurmountable alienation.
    Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
Verb
  • Quiroz-Mata in his appeal argued that Reyes is abusive to him and alienating his child from him, the order states.
    Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 15 July 2026
  • As Ethan, Stock was as perversely alienating as he was poignantly alienated.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Noun
  • That amount is roughly one-fifth of what Scott has donated since the divorce, while she’s given away about 40% of her fortune, making her one of the most generous philanthropists in the world.
    Sydney Lake, Fortune, 16 July 2026
  • Jolie and Pitt married in 2014 and filed for divorce in 2016.
    Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Verb
  • The result can be a more consistent connection, fewer interruptions and less of that infuriating mid-episode quality drop.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
  • Adding secondary maturations into the bourbon lineup is likely going to divide longtime Four Roses fans, delighting some and infuriating others.
    Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 23 June 2026
Noun
  • Here, as ever, Kokopeli suggests that clinging to youthful talismans offers no protection against uncertainty, and reasserts the odd mix of disaffection and morbid glee produced by such reactionary impulses.
    Theo Belci, Artforum, 2 June 2026
  • Showing the disaffection for politics and partisanship in this modern era, each of the last five midterm elections have seen presidents with ratings below 50%.
    Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 9 May 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

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Cite this Entry

“Souring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/souring. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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