CLASHING Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

clashing 1 of 2

adjective

as in conflicting

not being in agreement or harmony freedom and equality are often a clashing set of ideals

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

clashing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of clash

as in colliding

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

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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 clashing

Adjective

Vargo’s recent party switch and her clashing political mailers — some reading as if made for Democrats and others for Republican voters — prompted the local Democratic party to back her opponent, Patricia Rumph, a lifelong Democrat. — Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026 That creates a stronger feedback loop in which the algorithm more strongly presents clashing posts. — Farnaz Jahanbakhsh, The Conversation, 20 Aug. 2026 The Los Angeles actor captures the easygoing professionalism that often places him between the clashing personalities of Shaw and Dreyfuss. — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026 The original room also has mannequins showing off fashion-forward outfits from the winners of the Liberty Fabrics x Graduate Fashion Foundation Competition, with lots of lovely clashing patterns and textures. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 23 July 2026 If your bathroom feels busy or dated thanks to clashing finishes, consider painting everything in one rich, moody hue like charcoal, navy, or slate. — Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 8 July 2026 The cornerstone of Boards classics is a blurring retrofuturism achieved via swirling and clashing sample, synth, and guitar textures. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 July 2026 The election follows Hockensmith's decision to step away from the board due to clashing personalities and policy choices. — Virginia Barreda, Des Moines Register, 3 June 2026 The clashing magnetic fields of a white dwarf star and its neighboring red dwarf star are the source of signals from space that have remained a puzzle for over 20 years, radio astronomers in Australia have found. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 2 June 2026

Verb

Overton inherits an agency that has fired more than 3,000 staff in the past year, whose last commissioner resigned after clashing with the White House. — Julie F. Kay, STAT, 25 Sep. 2026 The incident came as agitators against immigration adopt a confrontational new tactic of trying to stop the boats landing on England’s shores, clashing with police and rescue workers in the process. — Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 Crystal gems, clashing patterned bases, and 3D textures make every nail its own tiny work of art. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 24 Sep. 2026 The other has brought together clashing frontier lab leaders Dario Amodei of Anthropic, OpenAI's Sam Altman and Elon Musk, along with a chorus of AI researchers. — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026 Ground fighting intensified at the beginning of September, with troops clashing on multiple fronts. — Guy Davies, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026 Imagined by creative director Henry Zankov, the runway show, held on Thursday morning in Manhattan, was decorated with pattern-clashing personalities and punctuating hair — frizzy texture, fluffy bangs and all. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026 The show, which debuted in 2025, centers on clashing mob families and stars Brosnan and Mirren as Harrigan crime family patriarch and matriarch Conrad and Maeve, respectively. — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 But the move risks clashing with Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s own plans to shrink the Fed’s balance sheet — and with any Fed decision to tighten monetary policy. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clashing

Adjective

The conflicting statements came just days after Pakistani fighter jets struck sites in eastern Afghanistan that Islamabad said were militant hideouts, an escalation between Kabul and Islamabad that threatens mediation efforts by regional powers.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
Abrams has the kind of expressive face that can navigate a host of conflicting emotions.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of conflicting

Verb

Extreme nuclear matter RHIC operated at BNL from 2000 to 2026 and was designed to investigate exotic forms of nuclear matter by colliding heavy atomic nuclei, like gold, at nearly the speed of light.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
What began as a fringe biohacking trend is now colliding with nightlife, and the shift is starting to reshape how people plan a night out.

— Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of colliding

Adjective

Roberts went 36-49 while injuries, roster turnover and inconsistent play undermined the franchise’s rebuilding effort around young talents Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson.

— Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Some manufacturers run their own data groups; others work through third-party aggregators, creating inconsistent landscapes for integrated solutions.

— Stacey Moser, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026