How to Use hostility in a Sentence

hostility

noun
Definition of hostilitynext
Synonyms for hostilitynext
  • Both sides are calling for a cessation of hostilities.
  • They were both glad to have gotten through the divorce proceedings without any visible signs of hostility.
  • The townspeople showed open hostility to outsiders.
  • Peace talks were stalled after recent hostilities.
  • The hostilities halted in 1953 with an armistice, not a peace treaty.
    — Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 20 May 2024
  • But on talk shows and in chat rooms the grievances and hostilities that have led the nation to this point were not quieted.
    — Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2024
  • Still, many experts assume that at some point at least some form of pause in hostilities will come.
    — Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Nov. 2023
  • Her dogma is: The bigger your fabulous gets, the less room there is for hate and hostility.
    — Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 29 June 2023
  • Obviously, as time has gone on, the hostilities have opened up to more places.
    — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
  • Ryan and Eric feel no hostility at Progressive Field when the Twins come to town.
    — cleveland, 22 Jan. 2023
  • There's more hostility since the Dobbs decision, in her view.
    — USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2024
  • This is not the first time that Britain’s clubby media world has shown hostility to outsiders.
    — Mark Landler, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024
  • The United States has presented a cease-fire plan that would have Hamas release the hostages in Gaza in exchange for a pause in hostilities.
    — Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 18 June 2024
  • But more than anything else, growing hostilities with the United States have set the region on edge.
    — Damien Cave Chang W. Lee, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2023
  • The plan to end hostilities hinges on Hezbollah moving its fighters from the border.
    — Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 28 June 2024
  • In the past, Helton said, attempts at change have led to hostility and division.
    — Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2023
  • But over the last five months, this long-standing hostility has been upended.
    — Jamsheed K. Choksy, Foreign Affairs, 20 July 2023
  • These myths help feed a broader hostility toward drug users, a tactic that has been very helpful to promote the war on drugs.
    — Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, 7 Oct. 2022
  • The escalation of hostilities between the U.S. and the Houthis could upset those efforts.
    — Evan Halper, Washington Post, 31 Dec. 2023
  • During the six-week cease-fire, the two sides would then work out plans for a second phase, which would involve another 42-day halt to hostilities and the release of more hostages.
    — Peter Baker, New York Times, 7 May 2024
  • But Hamas has held out for a total cessation of hostilities that would leave it in charge of Gaza, a red line for the Israeli government.
    — Adam Sella, New York Times, 26 May 2024
  • The two decide to partner up, set their hostility aside and work together.
    — Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Aug. 2023
  • Meanwhile, Meg still has to deal with hostility from the controlling Ellen, who thinks a convert just isn’t good enough and isn’t shy about letting Meg know.
    — Alissa Simon, Variety, 18 June 2024
  • The 27-year-old said the fire, regardless of the motive behind it, dredged up the hostility to the community that’s been documented in the news.
    — Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023
  • Prices climbed on Tuesday over worries that exports through the region would be constrained by the hostilities.
    — WSJ, 27 Dec. 2023
  • He is still shaken because of the hostility with which he was targeted.
    — Parth M.n., WIRED, 17 July 2023
  • Any cash crunch, even if two years down the road, wasn’t addressed in Friday’s statement, nor was the hostility that followed a strike by teachers in March 2022 that shut down schools for eight days.
    — Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 10 Feb. 2024
  • Constant criticisms and hostility are not the way to make that happen.
    — Jane Carr, CNN, 15 Feb. 2023
  • People like that fill me with violent hostility and even hatred.
    — Yukio Mishima, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2024
  • All the while, the Jensens (young Julia included) treat her with a shifting mix of condescending paternalism and low-grade hostility.
    — Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 18 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hostility.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: