souring 1 of 2

Definition of souringnext

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 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 Nothing gets me through the swiftly souring end of August quite like a vision of myself in this sweater, curled up by a fireplace with an epic that’s been languishing for years on my TBR stack. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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 Moreover, for six months, sentiment around AI was souring. John Towfighi, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026 Greece probably outperformed key fiscal metrics for 2025 by at least one percentage point of output, offering leeway for aid to voters facing a souring economy, people familiar with the matter said. Sotiris Nikas, Bloomberg, 15 Apr. 2026 The traditionally hot spring buying season has coincided with a souring economic environment impacting the decisions of many homebuyers. Tristan Bove, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026 With technology and social media dominating the lives of younger generations, Friedberg said there’s a knowledge gap in how to cultivate relationships with factories, how to use the correct terminology and how to choose souring destinations for specific product categories. Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 8 Apr. 2026 However, the twists of its premise soon end up souring it conceptually, resulting in rapidly-diminishing returns, with derivative formal flourishes that largely recall other, better films. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026 But Carrick doesn’t appear worried about one defeat souring a previously good relationship. Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026 Carlson’s faction is increasingly critical of Israel, which has coincided with souring opinion among younger Americans—on the right and the left. Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for souring
Noun
  • Degrees of estrangement are common in dysfunctional families, and this book depicts their slippery, progressive nature.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Therefore any estrangement would have been a loss to the school, and not to your own status.
    Judith Martin, Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The economic cost of the war is now palpable – with cell-phone data outages that regularly blight major cities angering even the pro-Putin bourgeoisie – adding to a sense of the war beginning to hit the urban elite, who until now were mostly isolated from the invasion’s impact.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 4 May 2026
  • Starmer’s comments risk angering many within his party, who will take issue with his linking of antisemitism with pro-Palestinian activism.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 2 May 2026
Noun
  • That’s a recipe for alienation.
    Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Studies show some teens spend hours on their phones a day — and that the highest social-media users suffer most from alienation and depression.
    Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • That’s Joel Schumacher’s 1993 revenge thriller about a fed-up white Angeleno who embarks on a violent odyssey across an alienating urban hellscape to reunite with his daughter.
    Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 2 May 2026
  • The two disagreed on whether data centers should connect to the grid, with Neugebauer alienating a potential customer.
    Chris Tomlinson, Houston Chronicle, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Draper's comments come about a month after her ex-husband, Jordan Ngatikaura, filed for divorce, as PEOPLE confirmed on March 19.
    Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
  • Julie Harding filed for divorce and, in May 2022, withdrew more than $220,000 from three bank accounts without Michael Harding’s consent.
    Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
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
Noun
  • Our hypothetical ambitious fifteen-year-old is exceptional, of course, and certainly not the bellwether for today’s disaffection about higher education.
    Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 5 May 2026
  • On her new single—a piano ballad of dubious sincerity—Canadian DJ and songwriter Brat Star invokes Paltrow’s greatest role as one-third of a holy trinity of disaffection.
    Walden Green, Pitchfork, 2 Mar. 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 9 May. 2026.

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