as in provoking
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as in angering
to implant bitter feelings in
everything he said just antagonized the other side even more
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Recent Examples of antagonizing
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
29 June 2026
On Monday against the Phoenix Mercury, Clark spent the game peeved at the officials and picked up her fifth technical after clapping in an antagonizing manner toward a rival.
—
Candace Buckner,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
Trump first began antagonizing Senate Republicans last month by endorsing challenges to two of their own incumbents.
—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
24 June 2026
Investor Michael Burry—of Big Short fame—considered antagonizing the richest man on the planet over the IPO of his latest company.
—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
Dalton Eatherly, 28, is known in Clarksville for deliberately antagonizing people on camera and also faces theft and disorderly conduct charges from a separate incident.
—
Kristin M. Hall,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Between his antagonizing antics and soul-shaking shot-making, CJ McCollum needed only two playoff games to achieve Knicks villain status.
—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
One of the few sane adults left in his administration must have reminded him that antagonizing Catholics is a terrible political move.
—
Gustavo Arellano,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
At a time when many in the business community tried to avoid antagonizing the Chinese government, Lai’s publications ran images that readers often brought to anti-government protests—including one that featured Hong Kong’s leader, Tung Chee-hwa, getting hit in the face with a pie.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
Hathaway’s style of play — gritty, aggressive, antagonizing — fits the mold that those former teammates have carried over to Florida.
—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
29 June 2026
On Monday against the Phoenix Mercury, Clark spent the game peeved at the officials and picked up her fifth technical after clapping in an antagonizing manner toward a rival.
—
Candace Buckner,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
Trump first began antagonizing Senate Republicans last month by endorsing challenges to two of their own incumbents.
—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
24 June 2026
Investor Michael Burry—of Big Short fame—considered antagonizing the richest man on the planet over the IPO of his latest company.
—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
Dalton Eatherly, 28, is known in Clarksville for deliberately antagonizing people on camera and also faces theft and disorderly conduct charges from a separate incident.
—
Kristin M. Hall,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Between his antagonizing antics and soul-shaking shot-making, CJ McCollum needed only two playoff games to achieve Knicks villain status.
—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
One of the few sane adults left in his administration must have reminded him that antagonizing Catholics is a terrible political move.
—
Gustavo Arellano,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
At a time when many in the business community tried to avoid antagonizing the Chinese government, Lai’s publications ran images that readers often brought to anti-government protests—including one that featured Hong Kong’s leader, Tung Chee-hwa, getting hit in the face with a pie.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
28 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antagonizing
Adjective
-
The Best Books of the Year (So Far) Our editors and critics choose the most captivating, notable, brilliant, surprising, absorbing, weird, thought-provoking, and talked-about books.
-
Chiarella has come up with an ingenious premise that is as twisted as it is thought-provoking.
Verb
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Israel for years avoided officially recognizing the violence as genocide out fear of angering Turkey, but that relationship has soured over the past two decades, especially as the most recent wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran have dragged on.
-
For years, Israel never officially broached the subject for fear of angering Turkey, but that relationship has soured over the past two decades, especially as the most recent wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran have dragged on.
Adjective
-
In 1994, the Florida Supreme Court ordered a new sentencing after finding that the trial court had mishandled evaluating aggravating and mitigating circumstances.
-
Prosecutors said the jury’s conviction included aggravating factors for crimes that involved great violence, great bodily harm, a threat of great bodily harm and violence with a serious danger to society.
Verb
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Before the agreement was announced, Israeli forces struck in Beirut, enraging Trump, who has publicly expressed his fury with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
-
In May 2021, after being elected to Parliament, Ben-Gvir established a makeshift office in a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, enraging local residents.
Adjective
-
Yerba Mate Tea Yerba mate is a tea traditionally from South America that contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that may help lower inflammatory markers associated with certain types of arthritis, or inflammation and pain of the joint.
-
Normal mice scratched and inflammatory immune cells rushed to the site, increasing swelling.
Verb
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The result can be a more consistent connection, fewer interruptions and less of that infuriating mid-episode quality drop.
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Adding secondary maturations into the bourbon lineup is likely going to divide longtime Four Roses fans, delighting some and infuriating others.
Adjective
-
Scam texts are annoying for everyone.
-
Others have blamed everything from feminism and long work commutes to annoying kiddy car seats.
Adjective
-
After several exasperating Zillow searches through Portland, Oregon’s increasingly expensive housing market, Gaby Colón and Daniel Quebral scrapped their plans for a traditional home and embraced the open road, buying a 315-square-foot home on wheels.
-
Of course, that doesn’t mean the company — which is currently under intense financial pressure, probably explaining the whole exasperating situation in the first place — won’t just institute an even more aggravating popup that breaks the site for all users.
Cite this Entry
“Antagonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonizing. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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