as in hostility
a deep-seated ill will
the antagonism between them was so bad they couldn't even sit near each other
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Recent Examples of antagonism
The ethnic antagonism in The Fabelmans, from 2022, suggests that Spielberg came to distrust the parochialism that the white Anglo-Saxon Beach Boys represented, along with the diversity that Americans had struggled against.
—
Armond White, National Review, 18 June 2025
The Tony-award winning play returns to Hogwarts 19 years after the events of the last book in the series — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — and follows the new alliances and antagonisms between the children of Potter generation.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 9 June 2025
Tariffs would threaten the stability of the global economy, reduce the flow of crucial goods into the United States and result in global antagonism that would make deals much harder to consummate.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 9 May 2025
Princeton University’s president, Christopher Eisgruber, has become one of the most prominent critics of the Trump administration’s antagonisms toward the academy.
—Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antagonism
Armond White, National Review, 18 June 2025
The Tony-award winning play returns to Hogwarts 19 years after the events of the last book in the series — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — and follows the new alliances and antagonisms between the children of Potter generation.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 9 June 2025
Tariffs would threaten the stability of the global economy, reduce the flow of crucial goods into the United States and result in global antagonism that would make deals much harder to consummate.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 9 May 2025
Princeton University’s president, Christopher Eisgruber, has become one of the most prominent critics of the Trump administration’s antagonisms toward the academy.
—Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antagonism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antagonism
Noun
-
But these weaknesses stem largely from underfunding and political hostility – not from any intrinsic flaw in the model.—
Sumit Agarwal,
The Conversation,
3 July 2025
-
In our experience we were met with outright hostility for our Christian beliefs.—
BJ,
Denver Post,
3 July 2025
Noun
-
The viral clip perfectly captures the familiar, comedic drama of pet rivalry, proving once again that internet users can't get enough of the secret lives—and grudges—of our four-legged friends.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
-
Or maybe someone carried a grudge about a business deal or something completely unrelated to any of the many hats Roy wore.—
Dateline NBC,
NBC news,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
There’s a great tradition in sports of being driven by a fear, or a hatred, of that feeling.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
She’s been feeling so much hatred, so much anger, so much sadness, so much disappointment these last few episodes.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Antagonism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonism. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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