militate against
phrasal verb
militated against; militating against; militates against
formal
: to make (something) unlikely to happen : to prevent (something) from happening
His inexperience militates against his getting an early promotion.
factors militating against success
Examples of militate against in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Eve Humphrey’s perky dining car Dinah is delightfully precise, but the production’s rush to get to the next race militates against stronger work from pretty much everyone.
—
David Benedict, Variety, 30 June 2024
Domestic and international political factors militate against compromise.
—Alex Clapp, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
The national security establishment has for decades warned that our rapidly deepening debt, $30 trillion and counting, is a danger that militates against our global power.
—Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Jan. 2024
The longstanding view of the U.S. Justice Department also militates against criminal justice immunity for former presidents.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 1 May 2024
His memory embodies two principles that will militate against forever Putinism: the refusal to tolerate apathy and the refusal to accept that Russian politics is entirely a top-down operation.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 13 Mar. 2024
Speed and accuracy militate against each other and sometimes errors occur.
—Washington Examiner, 15 Dec. 2023
Europe’s political setup militates against a proactive foreign policy.
—Michael Kimmage and Hanna Notte, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2023
But memories are short, and the existential dread that could overtake the Democratic political class if a real surge materialized may very well militate against the party’s better judgment.
—The Editors, National Review, 31 Aug. 2023
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
David Benedict, Variety, 30 June 2024
Domestic and international political factors militate against compromise.
—Alex Clapp, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
The national security establishment has for decades warned that our rapidly deepening debt, $30 trillion and counting, is a danger that militates against our global power.
—Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Jan. 2024
The longstanding view of the U.S. Justice Department also militates against criminal justice immunity for former presidents.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 1 May 2024
His memory embodies two principles that will militate against forever Putinism: the refusal to tolerate apathy and the refusal to accept that Russian politics is entirely a top-down operation.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 13 Mar. 2024
Speed and accuracy militate against each other and sometimes errors occur.
—Washington Examiner, 15 Dec. 2023
Europe’s political setup militates against a proactive foreign policy.
—Michael Kimmage and Hanna Notte, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2023
But memories are short, and the existential dread that could overtake the Democratic political class if a real surge materialized may very well militate against the party’s better judgment.
—The Editors, National Review, 31 Aug. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near militate against
Cite this Entry
“Militate against.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/militate%20against. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share