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
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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
Example: The new Captain America film is being panned by critics for playing it too safe—being too vanilla—so as not to offend anyone.
—
Michael Ashley, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
When that occurs, HOA managers and boards are often asked to act against the allegedly offending neighbor, but all too often the other resident also has their own story to tell.
—Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
Investigators didn’t release details of the offending food item that put the couple at odds.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 18 Feb. 2025
Media companies that offended him are rushing to settle even seemingly meritless private lawsuits.
—Lawrence Norden, TIME, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for offend
Michael Ashley, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
When that occurs, HOA managers and boards are often asked to act against the allegedly offending neighbor, but all too often the other resident also has their own story to tell.
—Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
Investigators didn’t release details of the offending food item that put the couple at odds.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 18 Feb. 2025
Media companies that offended him are rushing to settle even seemingly meritless private lawsuits.
—Lawrence Norden, TIME, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for offend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offend
Verb
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But since the day before, one trespassing man would not stop.—
Josh Wood,
The Courier-Journal,
18 Feb. 2025
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Mainstream media outlets, which ordinarily wouldn’t care about a trespassing deer hunter, fixated on the Porta-Potty part and ran with it.—
Phil Bourjaily,
Outdoor Life,
12 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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Public transit services continued during the pandemic, but ridership on the railroads fell sharply, DOT data show.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
27 Feb. 2025
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The search for a missing fisherman who fell overboard during a fishing competition on Sunday has been suspended, Australian police say.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The skit outraged several Trump supporters for pushing racist stereotypes of Republicans.—
Heather Hunter,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
17 Feb. 2025
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The Tocqueville paradox nicely captures the idea of concept creep and explains how people today can be outraged at (historically speaking) minor social injustices, despite being surrounded by (historically speaking) unprecedented equality.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Thirty years earlier, in 1995, on the weekend before Quebec’s second referendum on independence, my family and I went to Montreal to wander the city, to try to sense what Quebeckers were feeling, but mostly just to be there.—
Ken Dryden,
The Atlantic,
23 Feb. 2025
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This baby seal was found wandering the snowy streets of New Haven, Conn.—
The Learning Network,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offend. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
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