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
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.
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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
Both electoral and constitutional problems militate against the proposal.
—Peter J. Wallison, National Review, 27 June 2023
Domestic political factors in both countries militate against compromise.
—Jeffrey Mankoff, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2020
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
Both electoral and constitutional problems militate against the proposal.
—Peter J. Wallison, National Review, 27 June 2023
Domestic political factors in both countries militate against compromise.
—Jeffrey Mankoff, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'militate against.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near militate against
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“Militate against.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/militate%20against. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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