antagonize

The plan could result in putting more U.S. troops closer to the Russian border, an outcome likely to antagonize Moscow.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 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

The crowd at Pupusas and Punchlines is not one to dismiss or antagonize comics that are not Latinx.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2025

“When we are fighting for our survival, we can’t afford to antagonize either Biden or Trump,” Mr. Merezhko said.

From New York Times ● Apr. 19, 2024

I needed to make up with Helene tonight, not antagonize her further.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

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

It all makes for a slight but satisfying Gru origin story, as the budding baddie tries to impress the Vicious 6 and antagonizes Arkin’s vengeful Wild Knuckles along the way.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 28, 2022

It doesn’t stop the smoldering resentment that I feel deep down when she antagonizes me.

From Slate ● Aug. 30, 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

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

From Slate ● May 21, 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

“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

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

In it, more realities of the killing are clarified: Good wasn’t antagonizing the agent, and she didn’t turn her wheels to try to hit him, but instead to drive away slowly.

From Slate ● Jan. 13, 2026

Zohran Mamdani, who just swept to victory in the New York City mayoral race, already faces his next big challenge: making the right hires without alienating loyalists or further antagonizing skeptics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2025

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

From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2024

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