antagonize

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

The former official asked not to be named because they work in public health and don’t want to antagonize the current administration.

From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2026

Shannon and Hannah, as different as two people could be, form a connection that can’t help but antagonize jealous Maxine, whom Shannon cheekily calls the “insatiable widow.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2025

There is more willingness to embrace the youth vote, rather than antagonize it, as far as campaign strategy goes.

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2024

The young mouse approached the sparrow with trepidation, not wanting to antagonize the moody, dangerous bird.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

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

By lambasting her, he pointlessly antagonizes those voters.

From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2020

Doug antagonizes his commander, avoids his station chores and occasionally does his job of monitoring the cosmos around him for any sign of intelligent life.

From New York Times ● Apr. 7, 2020

A young man from Harlem joins a Southern university’s marching band but antagonizes the musical director and its leader.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2019

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

But Adeyemi describes suffering somatic pain and panic attacks, alleging she is still being antagonized behind the scenes.

From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2025

Neither side was eager to prolong a battle that antagonized customers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2024

Yet this month, it antagonized someone much more powerful, and is already retreating just a touch.

From Slate ● May 21, 2024

“They also debased their currency, undercut the universality of the iron law, and antagonized the Adem.”

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

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

On the other, you have Baier trying to show he's tough by antagonizing and talking over her.

From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2024

Miles didn’t seem to particularly like me, and I’d been antagonizing him all day.

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia