as in criticizing
to not allow (someone) to be included in a group; to exclude (someone) from a group
She was ostracized by the scientific community for many years because of her radical political beliefs. The other girls ostracized her because of the way she dressed.
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Recent Examples of ostracizing
While going on a spiel about the pitfalls of ostracizing family members for voting MAGA, the TV personality pivoted to his personal experience.
—
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2025
By focusing so much on the Jewish people and the Jewish state, these provocateurs have a much broader goal in mind than merely ostracizing America's small Jewish minority.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2025
By focusing so much on the Jewish people and the Jewish state, these provocateurs have a much broader goal in mind than merely ostracizing America's small Jewish minority.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostracizing
Verb
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In multiple phone calls from jail, Nathan Gingles discussed the dependency court case, asking his friend in Texas to pass along information and criticizing Mary’s sister, who was fighting for custody against Schuler.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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Both companies have also gotten more vocal in public in recent weeks, with executives openly criticizing each other's businesses.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The strategy marks a shift toward attacking cartels’ financial systems as law enforcement pressure mounts on traditional drug routes.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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Dan Ndoye is capable of playing in a central attacking role and Morgan Gibbs-White has looked handy playing in a more advanced role.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Beutner, who entered the contest in October, spent much of his campaign denouncing Bass’ handling of the Palisades fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and left 12 people dead.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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His candidacy sparked sharp divisions, with supporters portraying him as a symbol of stability and opponents denouncing him as a reminder of authoritarian rule and unresolved war crimes.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ostracizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostracizing. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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