verb
- to divide (a region or group) into smaller and often hostile units
Usage: often used in political contexts
Examples
- The civil war balkanizes the once-unified nation.
- Political disagreements threaten to balkanize the coalition.
- Economic inequality balkanizes communities along class lines.
- The new policy balkanizes the school district into competing factions.
- Ethnic tensions continue to balkanize the region.
- Social media sometimes balkanizes public opinion into echo chambers.