antagonize

Yet states like Mongolia and Tajikistan can little afford to antagonize their giant Russian neighbor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

Which prompts the question: Why would companies that in theory couldn’t afford to antagonize their customers take this tack anyway?

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2025

Of course, any American has the right to criticize judges but defendants usually don't do it because generally it's a bad idea to unnecessarily antagonize someone who has such power over your life.

From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2025

“Halfrican” explores the theme of “in between-ness” and encourages viewers to antagonize preconceived notions of identity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2024

“There’s no need to antagonize her,” Robert says softly.

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

“He antagonizes me on Twitter,” he said to a bystander, in an attempt to pass me off a second time.

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2024

Instead the city is pursuing a policy that further antagonizes landlords and sends tenants the message that they might be able to get away with not paying rent if they fight hard enough.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2024

However, naltrexone, in both short- and long-acting forms, has the opposite pharmacology: it antagonizes mu receptors, occupying them without activating them.

From Scientific American ● Sep. 13, 2023

I enjoy art that antagonizes you, and then, slowly, in an emotional striptease, reveals a gooey, loving center.

From New York Times ● Mar. 17, 2022

Nothing worries and antagonizes a female bear more than to have people between her and her brood.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Some also contend the deal has unnecessarily antagonized China, Australia’s main trading partner.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2025

When a person goes to the store and finds almost everything locked up behind plastic because of shoplifting, they may feel antagonized and triggered.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2025

So, people who are sophisticated litigators often don’t do that because it so often fails, and all you’re left with is an angered and antagonized judge who you’ve just called biased.

From Slate ● Apr. 11, 2024

Instead, he says, the experiment merely shows that, when antagonized the snakes are likely to put up a more spirited defense.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 3, 2024

Fyntan and Celine must have been alarmed by our misguided outpost in Kilanga, where we slept in their same house, antagonized their former friends, even turned their parrot out to nature’s maw.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

He did so to avoid antagonizing parts of the political and religious establishment that categorically reject hereditary or dynastic succession.

From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2026

And, two, how did the Ottawa captain feel about the White House posting an A.I.-generated video on its TikTok account that purported to show Tkachuk antagonizing the country where he works?

From Slate ● Feb. 27, 2026

She needs to maintain her popular tough stance on China without overly antagonizing Japan’s No. 2 customer for exports.

From Barron's ● Feb. 10, 2026

President Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, two singular forces in U.S. politics who have spent months antagonizing one another, set aside their differences—for now—following a meeting at the White House.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2025

Terryl felt like her mother blamed her for antagonizing Danny, and making things worse.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel