as in alienation
the loss of friendship or affection
a silly quarrel that eventually resulted in a complete and lasting estrangement between the onetime friends
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Recent Examples of estrangement
But my sense is that estrangement, in one form or another, is at the core of all fiction, film, and art in general.
—
Nina Mesfin, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
That empty seat marks the beginning of a painful estrangement, as Ana confronts loneliness for the first time, far from the protection of her parents and her closest companion.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
The home functions not only as a symbolic site for intimate matters, but also as an indefinite space that could exist anywhere in the world, reflecting the sense of estrangement many people feel when moving abroad, far from their country of origin.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025
Lockwood has learned and repurposed this trick of estrangement.
—Paul McAdory, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
However, in a May profile in The New York Times, Miley said that there was no longer any estrangement with her father.
—Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
Over seven seasons the show covers topics like menopause, elder care, homophobia, estrangement, discrimination, and more.
—Beth Nguyen, Time, 13 Sep. 2025
Prince Harry and his father, King Charles III, have reunited amid the royal family's estrangement from the outspoken prince.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
The Cairo-Riyadh estrangement is one such shift.
—Khaled Hassan, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Nina Mesfin, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
That empty seat marks the beginning of a painful estrangement, as Ana confronts loneliness for the first time, far from the protection of her parents and her closest companion.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
The home functions not only as a symbolic site for intimate matters, but also as an indefinite space that could exist anywhere in the world, reflecting the sense of estrangement many people feel when moving abroad, far from their country of origin.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025
Lockwood has learned and repurposed this trick of estrangement.
—Paul McAdory, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
However, in a May profile in The New York Times, Miley said that there was no longer any estrangement with her father.
—Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
Over seven seasons the show covers topics like menopause, elder care, homophobia, estrangement, discrimination, and more.
—Beth Nguyen, Time, 13 Sep. 2025
Prince Harry and his father, King Charles III, have reunited amid the royal family's estrangement from the outspoken prince.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
The Cairo-Riyadh estrangement is one such shift.
—Khaled Hassan, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for estrangement
Noun
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Advertisement The trauma and alienation experienced by those who endured military occupation at our nation’s founding suggests the peril of regularizing military rule in American cities today.—
Time,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
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Research on intergenerational cultural dissonance shows that this kind of constant negotiation can produce stress, identity conflict and feelings of alienation in young people.—
Hind Haddad,
The Conversation,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This is reportedly why Kidman went ahead and filed for divorce.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
13 Oct. 2025
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Sky-high divorce settlements are becoming the norm in Abu Dhabi, less than five years after a civil court opened to serve non-Emirati residents, Semafor reported.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In her autobiography, Mabel Dodge laid the blame for her schism with Stein firmly on one person.—
Via Scribner,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
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The Chiles case shines a spotlight on a growing schism in the LGBT base between gender-critical gays and their transgender counterparts.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Even the employees, once the guardians of glamour, linger on smoke breaks with the weary disaffection of people simply marking time.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
31 Aug. 2025
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Other bands, such as Arcade Fire and the Postal Service, were turning away from the disaffection that characterized Gen X rock to express bighearted feelings in bespoke ways.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The breakup pass, into the waiting arms of Noah Brown — nobody back there!—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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Someone going through a breakup might tell themselves that their problems are nothing compared with a friend’s cancer diagnosis.—
Reem Kassis,
The Atlantic,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Bryton and Jahaira tied the knot in March, and their date of separation is listed as June, three months after the ceremony.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Oct. 2025
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The mass layoffs come six months after thousands of researchers, scientists, doctors, support staff and senior leaders were either laid off from HHS or took early retirement or volunteer separation offers.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Fightful reported that Breakker wasn't planned to cause a rift with The Vision until 2026.—
Fernando Quiles Jr,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Oct. 2025
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Despite the family turmoil, a source previously told PEOPLE the Beckhams still hoped to mend the rift.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Estrangement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/estrangement. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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