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
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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
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Recent Examples of clashes
Sophie Tanno, 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
Throughout budget deliberations, council members shared concerns about the timeline of the budget roll-out that allowed for little time to create amendments, causing clashes between the city's finance committee and the mayor's office.
—Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 7 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
On Friday, clashes between protesters and immigration agents erupted near a middle school in Evanston, a suburb north of Chicago.
—NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
The clashes began earlier this month after Pakistani air strikes targeted the head of the Pakistani Taliban in Kabul and other locations.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Her style of comedy stems from her personal experiences of cultural clashes, immigrant identity, and motherhood.
—Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Alison Herman, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026
Matty is a blustering, blue-collar Bostonian who sees himself as the unequivocal boss of the house and frequently clashes with his liberal niece Blaire, an outspoken college student who often finds herself at odds with her more traditional-minded relatives.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2025
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
The feces contrast with her teeth in a way that inexplicably clashes with her eyeshadow, and the vignette is instantly burned in your brain.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
Since Assad’s ousting, Syria has seen flare-ups of deadly sectarian violence, with clashes erupting between security forces and those loyal to the former president, including in Syria’s coastal Latakia region in March.
—Sophie Tanno, 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
Throughout budget deliberations, council members shared concerns about the timeline of the budget roll-out that allowed for little time to create amendments, causing clashes between the city's finance committee and the mayor's office.
—Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 7 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
On Friday, clashes between protesters and immigration agents erupted near a middle school in Evanston, a suburb north of Chicago.
—NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
The clashes began earlier this month after Pakistani air strikes targeted the head of the Pakistani Taliban in Kabul and other locations.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Her style of comedy stems from her personal experiences of cultural clashes, immigrant identity, and motherhood.
—Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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
Matty is a blustering, blue-collar Bostonian who sees himself as the unequivocal boss of the house and frequently clashes with his liberal niece Blaire, an outspoken college student who often finds herself at odds with her more traditional-minded relatives.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2025
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
The feces contrast with her teeth in a way that inexplicably clashes with her eyeshadow, and the vignette is instantly burned in your brain.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 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
-
According to reports, there were fights in the snake-like queue that formed.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Town budgets, school boards, zoning fights, shoreline resilience — these are problems that punish purity.—
Robert T.F. Downes,
Hartford Courant,
6 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
-
Oscar winner Pacino plays a powerful mob boss whose empire collides with Father Joe’s crusade.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Still, Trump’s allies say warnings of stagflation — when high inflation collides with high unemployment — are overblown.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The facility, which is surrounded by the Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve, also has led to separate legal battles in federal court.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Soon the scene devolved into individual battles between officers and rioters.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Four people were killed over a four-day period in crashes on Arkansas highways, according to preliminary Arkansas State Police reports.—
Daniel McFadin,
Arkansas Online,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The filing cites past crashes, including a fatal 2009 FedEx MD-11 crash in Tokyo, and alleges similar design flaws or defects in Boeing’s MD-11 may have caused or contributed to the November 4 crash.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clashes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clashes. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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