friend zone
noun
variants
or less commonly friendzone
: a state of friendship in which one's romantic or sexual interest in someone is not reciprocated
Is it possible to go from friend zone to romance with one of your guy friends if you've only ever been platonic?—
Ky Henderson
Ky Henderson… the teen romance based on Stephenie Meyer's bestselling Twilight books about the love triangle between a girl from a broken home, an overprotective vampire who has intimacy issues and an amorous werewolf stuck in the friend zone.—Neil Strauss
Neil StraussExamples of friend zone in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The friend zone could be pushing or pulling you, and strong attraction could surface now.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
The friend zone could be pushing or pulling you, strong attraction could surface now.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026
Mac is by her side, supporting her as their relationship finally crosses out of the friend zone, all those years later.
—Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2025
Weiland has affection for him yet keeps him strictly in the friend zone.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2025
Affairs of the heart don’t come easy to her, but her abilities to friend zone Laurie is at peak levels.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 Oct. 2025
The friend zone trope suggests that the lovelorn are trapped in the cold shadow of platonic feelings.
—Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2025
That will protect the intimate connection and prevent your partner from ending up in the friend zone.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 14 Feb. 2025
Teens want movies and shows to stay in the friend zone.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 24 Oct. 2024
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Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
The friend zone could be pushing or pulling you, strong attraction could surface now.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026
Mac is by her side, supporting her as their relationship finally crosses out of the friend zone, all those years later.
—Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2025
Weiland has affection for him yet keeps him strictly in the friend zone.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2025
Affairs of the heart don’t come easy to her, but her abilities to friend zone Laurie is at peak levels.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 Oct. 2025
The friend zone trope suggests that the lovelorn are trapped in the cold shadow of platonic feelings.
—Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2025
That will protect the intimate connection and prevent your partner from ending up in the friend zone.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 14 Feb. 2025
Teens want movies and shows to stay in the friend zone.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 24 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Friend zone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/friend%20zone. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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