1
as in strife
a lack of agreement or harmony
the conflict between absolute freedom and personal responsibility
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clash
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
an armed conflict between strikers and strikebreakers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hostilities
a state of armed violent struggle between states, nations, or groups
the United Nations strives to prevent international conflicts
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the eternal conflict between the forces of good and evil
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to clash
to be out of harmony or agreement usually noticeably
his statement conflicts with the facts, as given in the police report
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of conflict
Editorial, Boston Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
In contexts not concerning the elite private colleges of New England and their decades-old conflicts and syllabi and on-campus squabbles, this mode of prestige media procedure matters absolutely and enormously, at scales difficult to tabulate.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
At the same time, Kavanaugh questioned whether limiting presidential authority in emergencies could conflict with past precedent, citing President Richard Nixon’s use of similar powers.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conflict
Noun
The story of Mamdani is a microcosm of the internal conflict within competing factions of the Democratic Party.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
In contexts not concerning the elite private colleges of New England and their decades-old conflicts and syllabi and on-campus squabbles, this mode of prestige media procedure matters absolutely and enormously, at scales difficult to tabulate.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
Politics often influenced these decisions, as living in the mansion could conflict with an image of humility or connection to everyday New Yorkers.
—Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
At the same time, Kavanaugh questioned whether limiting presidential authority in emergencies could conflict with past precedent, citing President Richard Nixon’s use of similar powers.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conflict
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conflict
Noun
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After more than a century of plunder and strife, under tyrants as diverse as King Leopold II of Belgium and Mobutu Sese Seko, the present-day DRC still occupies the dark heart of the continent in much of the world’s imagination.—
Holden Frith,
TheWeek,
9 Jan. 2026
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Located in the Horn of Africa, Somalia is one of the world’s poorest nations and has been beset by chronic strife and insecurity exacerbated by multiple natural disasters, including severe droughts, for decades.—
Omar Faruk,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The clashes have since descended into an all-out civil war, characterized by ethnic violence, attacks on civilians and atrocities committed by all sides, according to humanitarian groups and foreign governments.—
ByGuy Davies,
ABC News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Iranian state television aired images of clashes and fires, while the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that several police officers were killed overnight, underscoring the increasingly violent nature of the confrontations.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Those presidents asked for permission to conduct hostilities because the supreme law of the land, the Constitution, unambiguously vests the war power in Congress.—
Conor Friedersdorf,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
-
Almost three years since the start of the Sudanese civil war, there are few signs of the hostilities ending soon, with experts fearing the world’s gravest humanitarian crisis could yet worsen.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Small and middle powers, particularly those from the Global South, are stepping into this breach and providing an essential public good that great powers, bound by their own rivalries, increasingly cannot.—
Galip Dalay,
Time,
6 Jan. 2026
-
And there is a friendly rivalry there.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Three people were killed and two others were hospitalized after two vehicles collided Saturday afternoon at an intersection on the American River Parkway near North Sacramento.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But when her latest husband, discord spirit Raksh, provokes the council’s wrath, Amina must clean up his blunder, contend with Marjana’s demands for the truth…and figure out who on her crew is plotting a mutiny.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Jan. 2026
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Turning Point spokesperson Andrew Kolvet framed the discord as a healthy debate about the future of the movement, an uncomfortable but necessary process of finding consensus.—
Jonathan J. Cooper,
Fortune,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Things then turned violent when someone tried to lunge at Black as marshals walked him out of the courtroom, leading to a skirmish appearing to involve about a dozen people.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
2 Jan. 2026
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Other conflict hotspots include India/Pakistan following a deadly skirmish in 2025, Congo/Rwanda, and the ongoing civil war in Sudan.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Just a few months ago, McKenna was weighing the two schools against each other, the Spartans finishing as runners-up in his historic recruiting war.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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From the very first days of the First World War, the German Empire was looking for someone capable of sparking a revolution in Russia and forcing the country to withdraw from the war with Germany — so that the Germans could focus their forces on fighting the British and the French.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Conflict.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflict. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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