as in to anger
to cause to change from friendly or loving to unfriendly or uncaring
a misunderstanding that soured their relationship for a long time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in acidic
causing or characterized by the one of the four basic taste sensations that is produced chiefly by acids
the sour candy made our mouths all wrinkly inside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
you'll have to face up to the sour truth of the matter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
things started off well, but now it's all gone sour
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of sour
Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
The local election result will not affect the composition of parliament in Westminster or change who is in government, but reflects souring sentiment on Starmer's leadership among the electorate.
—Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 9 May 2026
Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
Even in the latter part of his career, at the weekly newspaper New York Observer, his writings lost none of their sting, and indeed often seemed like an unappetizing leftover from an era when sour personal swipes were more tolerated.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sour
Verb
Kiffin knows that, in Oxford and everywhere else, the love of fans and donors can sour in a hurry.
—Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
The local election result will not affect the composition of parliament in Westminster or change who is in government, but reflects souring sentiment on Starmer's leadership among the electorate.
—Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 9 May 2026
Adjective
The Mucho Smoocho Sips included the Tipsy Cupid drink, which had vodka, orange liqueur, strawberry flavors and lemon sour.
—Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
Even in the latter part of his career, at the weekly newspaper New York Observer, his writings lost none of their sting, and indeed often seemed like an unappetizing leftover from an era when sour personal swipes were more tolerated.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sour
Verb
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Set in 1986, the story follows two brothers, Irwin and Gary Pearl, whose get-rich scheme to help clean up the Gowanus Canal ends in disaster after Irwin (Teller), a nebbish family man, angers Russian mobsters by unwittingly witnessing their criminal activity.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
The delay angered rural Republicans, who wanted to see the farm bill passed.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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Most varieties prefer full sun to partial shade and rich, slightly acidic soil that drains well.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
13 May 2026
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Rex Reed, a critic and journalist known for his brash, often acidic takes on films and filmmakers, died Tuesday at his Manhattan home.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Adjective
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And since each state tax operates under its own often arcane rules, those costs can come as an unpleasant surprise.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
His rhetoric is unpleasant and extreme enough that he could not get confirmed to a university board in Florida.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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For a city in the grip of a housing crisis, that delay was unacceptable.—
Michelle de la Uz,
New York Daily News,
13 May 2026
-
Bans on unacceptable-risk AI have applied since February 2025, according to the European Commission.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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Insults were par for the course at The Roast of Kevin Hart, but some jokes had more acid than others.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
11 May 2026
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If choosing wines, focus on bright, higher-acid white wines that cut through the mouth-coating fattiness of cheese.—
Anna Lee Iijima,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But their styles could hardly be more different, and their feud has grown so bitter that their rivals are appealing to voters exhausted by the brawling.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
18 May 2026
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The verdict concludes a dramatic chapter in Musk and Altman’s bitter feud, and paves the way for OpenAI to go public, in one of the largest IPOs expected to date.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
The following seasons saw a wrong turn and regression to the point where many supporters gave up.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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For most people, this is where the cocktail goes wrong.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Rising gas prices and an unpopular war in Iran have infuriated prominent MAGA figures online, but in terms of GOP elections, the president has been able to elbow out critics in Congress and disobedient legislators in red states.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
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Georgia Supreme Court challenger Jen Jordan infuriates Republicans with a new fundraising email.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sour. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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