polarize
verb
po·lar·ize
ˈpō-lə-ˌrīz 
polarized; polarizing; polarizes
1
: to cause to vibrate in a definite pattern
lenses that polarize light waves
2
: to give physical polarity to
3
: to break up into opposing factions or groupings
a campaign that polarized the electorate
4
: concentrate sense 1
recreate a cohesive rock community by polarizing … an amorphous, fragmented audience—
Ellen Willis
Ellen Willis
: to become polarized
polarized
adjective
polarized sunglasses
a polarized political climate
Examples of polarize in a Sentence
The war has polarized the nation.
The current debate polarizes along lines of class and race.
Recent Examples on the Web
And while most things dealing with Trump are extremely politically polarized, all respondents seemed to feel the uncertainty—expectations were down 10% for Republicans, 12% for independents and 24% for Democrats.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Mullin told the Washington Examiner he’s spoken with Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, as much as Trump as Republicans slowly acquiesced to polarizing choices from Gabbard to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
—David Sivak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 Mar. 2025
Roberts has been quite polarizing to the Dodgers fan base over the years, and he’s certainly been criticized in this newsletter more than once.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
The latest effort in that direction is getting its polarizing Type 00 EV concept onto Parisian streets for the first time – with actor Barry Keoghan in tow.
—New Atlas, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for polarize
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.
Megan Poinski, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Mullin told the Washington Examiner he’s spoken with Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, as much as Trump as Republicans slowly acquiesced to polarizing choices from Gabbard to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
—David Sivak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 Mar. 2025
Roberts has been quite polarizing to the Dodgers fan base over the years, and he’s certainly been criticized in this newsletter more than once.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
The latest effort in that direction is getting its polarizing Type 00 EV concept onto Parisian streets for the first time – with actor Barry Keoghan in tow.
—New Atlas, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for polarize
Articles Related to polarize
Cite this Entry
“Polarize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polarize. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
polarize
verb
po·lar·ize
ˈpō-lə-ˌrīz
polarized; polarizing
1
: to cause to vibrate (as light waves) in a definite pattern
2
: to give physical polarity to
3
: to break up into opposing groups
4
: to become polarized
polarization
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share