as in hostile
marked by opposition or ill will
the relationship between the president and the congress should not be adversarial if anything is to get done
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Recent Examples of adversarial
Well, the precedent here would be the 2015 referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom, where malign Russian actors do seem to have played a very big role in trying to promote the breakup of the United Kingdom, with a view to making Scotland some kind of adversarial entity.
—
David Frum, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
These can include sabotaging infrastructure to foment unrest, subtly interfering with training exercises to undermine Arctic capabilities, and exploiting divisions in adversarial alliances.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
After getting marooned on a desert island when their private plane crashes somewhere in the Gulf of Thailand on the way to a business trip, the dynamic between the adversarial pair is quickly flipped on its head.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
This perception of law enforcement as a self-serving institution fuels an adversarial relationship between police and the public, makes witnesses and victims less likely to report crime, and directly undercuts our ability to effectively keep communities safe.
—Diane Goldstein, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adversarial
David Frum, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
These can include sabotaging infrastructure to foment unrest, subtly interfering with training exercises to undermine Arctic capabilities, and exploiting divisions in adversarial alliances.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
After getting marooned on a desert island when their private plane crashes somewhere in the Gulf of Thailand on the way to a business trip, the dynamic between the adversarial pair is quickly flipped on its head.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
This perception of law enforcement as a self-serving institution fuels an adversarial relationship between police and the public, makes witnesses and victims less likely to report crime, and directly undercuts our ability to effectively keep communities safe.
—Diane Goldstein, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adversarial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adversarial
Adjective
-
The hostile bid came as Nexstar Media Group agreed to acquire Tegna, in a $6 billion transaction that would run afoul of the FCC’s 39% ownership cap; Nexstar has filed for a waiver to the ownership cap.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
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The 31-year-old Puerto Rican singer’s celebration of Hispanic culture could hardly have arrived at a more hostile moment for Latinos.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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What is, perhaps, a surprise is seeing a long-term trend, particularly apparent on decadal timescales, that tends towards a brighter (more negative) visual magnitude.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The prior year featured consistently modest gains and several months of negative growth for payrolls.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adversarial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adversarial. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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