1
as in skirmishes
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
a clash between rival gangs that resulted in some serious injuries
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rattles
the loud sound made when metal strikes metal
the clash of cymbals
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in conflicts
to be out of harmony or agreement usually noticeably
the colors of your shirt and pants clash a parent's idea of proper dress often clashes with a teenager's
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clashes
Wcco Staff, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
The powerful Sun clashes with Chiron by way of your chatter quadrant and your habit zone, encouraging you to address a tricky situation at work or in your neighborhood with courageous calm.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 12 Jan. 2026
In 2025, at least nine people, including a baby, were killed there in an attack that authorities blamed on clashes between local gangs also.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
The angst has boiled over into a serious of corporate clashes, from Fubo’s protest of Venu Sports to Disney and YouTube TV’s prolonged 2025 carriage battle to the ongoing Sling-Disney dispute.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Tensions from the summer’s violent clashes between immigration officers and demonstrators continued to boil over this fall in America’s largest cities.
—Andy Rose 19 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
As for South Sudan, a senior United Nations official said earlier this week that the ongoing conflict in Sudan is causing destabilization in South Sudan, including armed clashes and food insecurity.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
The officers also used the 2020 demonstrations — which began as peaceful demonstrations after George Floyd’s police killing in Minneapolis but devolved into 200 days of sustained protest and sometimes violent clashes — to undermine the administration’s contention that the city is now under siege.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 8 Nov. 2025
In recent years the native land, one of Brazil’s first, has been invaded by thousands of land grabbers and miners, sparking frequent clashes with indigenous security forces.
—Adriana Brasileiro, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Denise Petski, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2026
In the rapidly evolving world of denim manufacturing, the quest for sustainability often clashes with the demand for authentic, high-quality aesthetics.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
At Tender, Whitney clashes with his more hedonistic co-founder Jonah (Kal Penn) and bosses around his assistant Haley (Kiernan Shipka).
—Alison Herman, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026
That statement clashes with the First Amendment, where decades of case law have maintained that students do not shed their free expression rights when on campus.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 1 Dec. 2025
Your worst critic is YOU as the moon clashes with Chiron.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
Played by Nick Cannon, Devon joins the marching band at Atlanta A&T University, where his confidence quickly clashes with his section leader’s discipline.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 16 Oct. 2025
The memo also clashes with a 2019 law that requires back pay for federal workers.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
Coerced into a conversion therapy program, Jared clashes with its hostile leader (Joel Edgerton), igniting a transformative journey of self-acceptance.
—Alex Gurley, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Noun
The investigation into the killing of a US citizen by an ICE agent in Minneapolis this week is being complicated by clashes between federal and local officials, with the FBI taking control over the objections of Governor Tim Walz.
—Wcco Staff, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
The powerful Sun clashes with Chiron by way of your chatter quadrant and your habit zone, encouraging you to address a tricky situation at work or in your neighborhood with courageous calm.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 12 Jan. 2026
In 2025, at least nine people, including a baby, were killed there in an attack that authorities blamed on clashes between local gangs also.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
The angst has boiled over into a serious of corporate clashes, from Fubo’s protest of Venu Sports to Disney and YouTube TV’s prolonged 2025 carriage battle to the ongoing Sling-Disney dispute.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Tensions from the summer’s violent clashes between immigration officers and demonstrators continued to boil over this fall in America’s largest cities.
—Andy Rose 19 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
As for South Sudan, a senior United Nations official said earlier this week that the ongoing conflict in Sudan is causing destabilization in South Sudan, including armed clashes and food insecurity.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
The officers also used the 2020 demonstrations — which began as peaceful demonstrations after George Floyd’s police killing in Minneapolis but devolved into 200 days of sustained protest and sometimes violent clashes — to undermine the administration’s contention that the city is now under siege.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 8 Nov. 2025
In recent years the native land, one of Brazil’s first, has been invaded by thousands of land grabbers and miners, sparking frequent clashes with indigenous security forces.
—Adriana Brasileiro, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
Matty is a blustering, blue-collar Bostonian who sees himself as the unequivocal boss of the house and frequently clashes with his liberal niece.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2026
In the rapidly evolving world of denim manufacturing, the quest for sustainability often clashes with the demand for authentic, high-quality aesthetics.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
At Tender, Whitney clashes with his more hedonistic co-founder Jonah (Kal Penn) and bosses around his assistant Haley (Kiernan Shipka).
—Alison Herman, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026
That statement clashes with the First Amendment, where decades of case law have maintained that students do not shed their free expression rights when on campus.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 1 Dec. 2025
Your worst critic is YOU as the moon clashes with Chiron.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
Played by Nick Cannon, Devon joins the marching band at Atlanta A&T University, where his confidence quickly clashes with his section leader’s discipline.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 16 Oct. 2025
The memo also clashes with a 2019 law that requires back pay for federal workers.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
Coerced into a conversion therapy program, Jared clashes with its hostile leader (Joel Edgerton), igniting a transformative journey of self-acceptance.
—Alex Gurley, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clashes
Noun
-
Hundreds of thousands of civilians were displaced from their homes in both countries when border skirmishes broke out for the second time this year.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Dec. 2025
-
For more than a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817-kilometer (508-mile) land border – a dispute that has occasionally exploded into skirmishes and fighting.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
27 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Silver engraving, masks, totem poles, rattles, prints.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
16 Dec. 2025
-
Cutlery, rattles and cups are among the most popular choices as keepsake gifts for newborns.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The description conflicts with the White House’s portrayal of the two women as long estranged.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Nov. 2025
-
That law conflicts with the state constitution, Womack said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
There were still fights to fight and Perfidia’s restlessness and struggles adjusting to motherhood led her to leave.—
Lindsey Underwood,
Vanity Fair,
13 Jan. 2026
-
From high-stakes budget fights to ambitious transit plans and a political cycle already heating up, these are some of the people who will leave their fingerprints on the year ahead.—
Austin American Statesman,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Together with thin shallot rings, the bird fries in a coating of rice flour to achieve an airy crispness and plenty of splintered, shattering bits of batter.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The robot picks unsorted bearing rings and places them onto a buffer table.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Molochnikov’s Extremist, backed by Ben Stiller and John Lesher, is a resonant anti-war short that shows what happens when activism collides with an authoritarian regime that suppresses human rights and other freedoms.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Neuralink’s big vision collides with reality When Neuralink poached a top FDA regulator who was previously responsible for overseeing the company, the move resurfaced long-standing questions about the organization, led by 2025 main character Elon Musk.—
Theresa Gaffney,
STAT,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This is because monetary policy utterly lacks the excitement of battles or uprisings and the drama of high-level diplomacy.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
-
The Patriots are bound for the AFC Championship Game because their defense has afforded Maye enough time to work through his mistakes in the first two playoff games of his career, both battles against elite defenses.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Isaac Gonzales, founder of Slow Down Sacramento, said the locations of where these crashes happened were not surprising.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
In the national parks, drowning ranks behind only motor-vehicle crashes as the leading cause of accidental death.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clashes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clashes. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
