polarize

verb

Etymology: From French polariser, equivalent to polar + -ize.

1. To cause to have a polarization.

   “To polarize, and indeed, to artificially distinguish between the secular and the religious is to dismiss the inarguable Judeo-Christian foundation of contemporary secular institutions.”

2. To cause a group to be divided into extremes.

   “The deal has polarized Twitter employees, users, and regulators over the power tech giants wield in determining the parameters of acceptable discourse on the internet and how those companies enforce their rules.”