1
as in to trespass
to commit an offense
since this is the first time you've offended, we'll let you off lightly
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to insult
to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in
the visitor unintentionally offended his hosts terribly by failing to compliment them on the elaborately prepared meal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to violate
to fail to keep
offended conventional standards of uniformity by not adhering to the company dress code
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of offend
In the successor John F. Kennedy administration, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara was immediately offended by the lack of formal logic in this approach, and decisively imposed organization-chart order.
—
Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
My group chat plotted how many Canadian flags would sufficiently offend at a sports bar.
—Vjosa Isai, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
The community votes on these notes and the one deemed most accurate is displayed underneath the offending tweet.
—Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 21 Feb. 2025
She should be offended; she’s seen dead bodies before, presumably.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for offend
Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
My group chat plotted how many Canadian flags would sufficiently offend at a sports bar.
—Vjosa Isai, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
The community votes on these notes and the one deemed most accurate is displayed underneath the offending tweet.
—Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 21 Feb. 2025
She should be offended; she’s seen dead bodies before, presumably.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for offend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offend
Verb
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The Federal Railroad Administration monitors trespassing incidents, injuries and deaths related to tracks and trains.—
Manuela López Restrepo,
NPR,
17 Feb. 2025
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By the end of the protest, his property was trespassed and defaced with bloody handprints left on his garage door.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Both fighters had been insulting each other throughout a heated press conference before things boiled over on stage.—
Ben Church,
CNN,
26 Feb. 2025
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About time people from the US come to understand how insulting this has been.—
Joshua Kloke,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The hearing stemmed from a defense motion to suppress the investigative genetic genealogy evidence, as the defense argued the testing violated Kohberger’s constitutional rights and its results should be thrown out.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN,
1 Mar. 2025
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Revisiting cases against crypto firms — especially those which violated the SEC's rules but were not alleged to have defrauded investors — has been broadly anticipated.—
Hannah Lang,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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By electing Benitez, the cardinals have unwittingly appointed a leader who falls outside traditional binaries, thus bringing a new perspective into the Vatican.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
27 Feb. 2025
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Vaccination Rates As reported by the CDC, the measles vaccination rate among children in kindergarten nationally has fallen since 2019, from approximately 95 percent of children receiving a two-dose MMR coverage to 92.7 percent.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Rights groups have been outraged over the hijab law and the cruel ways it is enforced.—
Artemis Moshtaghian and Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
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But the victim’s family were outraged by the offer, and a Superior Court judge rejected the deal.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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For nonmembers, who can enter at 9 a.m., the event represents a great time to wander the gardens, buy plants and seek inspiration from gardening experts.—
Patrick Connolly,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Mar. 2025
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Let your mind wander over the prompts without judging what comes up.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offend. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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