Balkanize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to divide (a country, territory, etc.) into small, quarrelsome, ineffectual states.
-
(often lowercase) to divide (groups, areas, etc.) into contending and usually ineffectual factions.
a movement to balkanize minority voters.
verb
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(tr) to divide (a territory) into small warring states
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to divide (a group or organization) into small factions
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Balkanize
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
We're used to being multicultural, and though we're constantly struggling with the consequences, we don't Balkanize because of it.
From Time Magazine Archive
Opponents of the new AVAs are worried that creating subregions will Balkanize the valley and dilute the reputation of its wines.
From Time Magazine Archive
Wilson similarly complains that the move would Balkanize the Governor's office.
From Time Magazine Archive
Long annoyed by the city's experiments in school decentralization, which threatened to Balkanize both the schools and his union, Shanker got tough when the Ocean Hill-Brownsville school board tried to oust 13 of "his" teachers.
From Time Magazine Archive
Is Bluesky set to take over the role Twitter used to play, or is it just one of many networks in a Balkanized social media landscape?
From Slate ● Nov. 29, 2024
Since TV now is such a Balkanized affair.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2024
The administrative oversight of these public investments including county and city governments and the King County Regional Homelessness Authority is highly Balkanized with predictable results.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 26, 2023
Highlighting the popular perception of America as increasingly Balkanized, the study also found that even as Americans appeared to be more cooperative than expected in their experiment, participants perceived Americans collectively as uncooperative.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2022
But obviously, so long as they continued to be Balkanized the chances of rapid progress were minimized.
From Black Man's Burden by Mack Reynolds
While Europe was Balkanizing, the city fathers were amalgamating what become the five boroughs into Greater New York.
From New York Times ● Sep. 29, 2017
We took a broad look at how pressure from some world governments has forced Facebook — and other platforms — to adjust their operations, effectively Balkanizing the promise of an anything-goes internet.
From New York Times ● Sep. 24, 2017
In response, several nations have developed their own rules for online users, Balkanizing the regulation of the web.
From New York Times ● Sep. 15, 2016
This amazing creation, which fitted in with the Balkanizing craze of the moment, was the work of a few wire-pullers in which the easy-going inhabitants had neither hand nor part.
From The Inside Story of the Peace Conference by Emile Joseph Dillon
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
