ostracize

verb

Definition of ostracizenext
as in to criticize
to not allow (someone) to be included in a group; to exclude (someone) from a group She was ostracized by the scientific community for many years because of her radical political beliefs. The other girls ostracized her because of the way she dressed.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ostracize Some felt ostracized by family and peers who considered sustainable farming and environmentalism itself to be anti-farmer and anti-rural. — Sydney Giacalone, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026 After opening up about his gender identity and sexuality to another youth at a group home in rural Oregon, Rin quickly regretted it, feeling ostracized from the other youth by his caregivers and misunderstood. — Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026 Interracial families were ostracized, and mixed-race children were excluded from the Baptist mission schools. — H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 4 Sep. 2026 Despite the verdict Lizzie was ostracized by the people of Fall River. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ostracize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostracize
  1. criticize
  2. denounce
  3. attack
Verb
  • Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, criticized the state's election officials for not cooperating with the department's demands.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • But others criticized the tactics used and family separations.
    — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of criticize
Verb
  • Many fans sympathized with Clarkson’s shopping experience and took to social media to denounce the actions taken by the shop.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • If the main predictor of racial disparities in prison is poverty, then denouncing police and prosecutors as racist won't shrink those gaps.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of denounce
Verb
  • Protesters, many of whom have been seen carrying Palestinian flags, have set fire to historic buildings and attacked civilians.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Electrons can then leak out of the chain, bonding with oxygen in the wrong parts of the mitochondria to form highly reactive free radicals that attack and deform neighboring molecules.
    — Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of attack

Browse Nearby Words

ostracisms
ostracize
ostracized
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Cite this Entry

“Ostracize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostracize. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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