as in hostile
marked by opposition or ill will
the relationship between the president and the congress should not be adversarial if anything is to get done
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Recent Examples of adversarial
But both Venezuela's geography and its weak security institutions may also frustrate attempts to quickly and efficiently establish robust governance capable of countering the presence of dug-in adversarial forces.
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Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
The politicians' public rhetoric prior to the meeting was adversarial, so many were surprised when the mayor-elect’s visit went so smoothly.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 23 Nov. 2025
Polanco said Mamdani needs to keep that firmly in mind, especially since the two have previously taken an adversarial tone.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
Trump repeatedly jumped in to defend Mamdani against adversarial press questions, for example.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adversarial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adversarial
Adjective
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Skepticism came easily to Trump, who had long been hostile to mainstream foreign policy.—
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The helicopter the pilot was flying — a heavy, twin-rotor MH-47 Chinook — was struck by hostile fire during the operation.—
Adjective
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Researchers revealed that the high-voltage output facilitates the neutralization and collection of dust and moisture by generating negative ions.—
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By the end of the year, the Gallup Economic Confidence Index, which measures views of the economy and its future, stood at a whopping negative 33, down nearly 20 points since spring.—
Cite this Entry
“Adversarial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adversarial. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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