Synonyms of conflict

conflict 1 of 2

noun

ˈkän-ˌflikt 

1

as in strife

a lack of agreement or harmony

the conflict between absolute freedom and personal responsibility

Synonyms & Similar Words

• strife
• discord
• war
• friction
• discordance
• warfare
• schism
• discordancy
• dissent
• dispute
• clash
• division
• disharmony
• dissonance
• disunity
• variance
• infighting
• altercation
• dissension
• hostility
• disagreement
• disunion
• dissidence
• divide
• contention
• inharmony
• argument
• debate
• fight
• collision
• disaccord
• quarrel
• competition
• fissure
• brawl
• squabble
• inconsistency
• animosity
• incompatibility
• incongruence
• enmity
• antagonism
• falling-out
• spat
• tiff
• incongruity
• bicker
• run-in
• wrangle
• row
• rancor
• cold war
• antipathy
• mix-up
• inconsistence
• jar
• ill will
• hassle
• inconsonance
• incongruousness
• scrap
• inharmoniousness
• miff

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• agreement
• peace
• harmony
• cooperation
• accord
• concordance
• concord
• concurrence

2

as in clash

a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups

an armed conflict between strikers and strikebreakers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• clash
• skirmish
• battle
• fight
• struggle
• tussle
• scuffle
• confrontation
• fray
• brawl
• combat
• contest
• dustup
• fracas
• altercation
• duel
• scrimmage
• dispute
• quarrel
• scrum
• hassle
• pitched battle
• battle royal
• scrap
• controversy
• rough-and-tumble
• blows
• melee
• fistfight
• tangle
• fisticuffs
• spat
• squabble
• mix-up
• misunderstanding
• ruckus
• affray
• disagreement
• row
• slugfest
• face-off
• free-for-all
• donnybrook
• falling-out
• ruction
• tiff
• punch-up
• broil
• joust
• cross fire
• contretemps
• argument
• wrangle
• catfight
• punch-out
• grapple
• kickup
• argle-bargle
• handgrips
• argy-bargy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• truce

3

as in hostilities

a state of armed violent struggle between states, nations, or groups

the United Nations strives to prevent international conflicts

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hostilities
• war
• conflagration
• skirmish
• hot war
• fighting
• civil war
• battle
• world war
• cold war
• warfare
• police action
• engagement
• limited war
• holy war
• combat
• action

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• peace
• disarmament
• demobilization
• demilitarization
• pacification
• truce
• tranquility
• calm
• peacefulness
• ceasefire

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

• rivalry
• battle
• struggle
• confrontation
• warfare
• competition
• war
• duel
• contention
• strife
• match
• contest
• clash
• combat
• showdown
• tug-of-war
• ball game
• dogfight
• face-off
• dispute
• debate
• discord
• sweepstakes
• friction
• grapple
• collision
• controversy
• disputation
• quarrel
• horse race
• disagreement
• argument
• dissension
• nail-biter
• row
• wrangle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• peace
• harmony
• concord

conflict

2 of 2

verb

kən-ˈflikt 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• clash
• collide
• discord
• jar
• differ
• disagree
• disaccord
• combat
• war (against)
• battle
• fight
• dissent
• engage
• chafe
• grate
• gall
• jangle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• match
• fit
• conform (to or with)
• blend
• accord
• harmonize
• agree
• correspond
• concur
• coincide
• assent

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun conflict contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of conflict are contention, discord, dissension, strife, and variance. While all these words mean "a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony," conflict usually stresses the action of forces in opposition but in static applications implies an irreconcilability as of duties or desires.

the conflict of freedom and responsibility

In what contexts can contention take the place of conflict?

The words contention and conflict are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy.

several points of contention about the new zoning law

When might discord be a better fit than conflict?

Although the words discord and conflict have much in common, discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism.

a political party long racked by discord

When can dissension be used instead of conflict?

The synonyms dissension and conflict are sometimes interchangeable, but dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions.

religious dissension threatened to split the colony

Where would strife be a reasonable alternative to conflict?

In some situations, the words strife and conflict are roughly equivalent. However, strife emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved.

during his brief reign the empire was never free of civil strife

When could variance be used to replace conflict?

While in some cases nearly identical to conflict, variance implies a clash between persons or things owing to a difference in nature, opinion, or interest.

cultural variances that work against a national identity

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of conflict

Noun

Today, many more nations possess nuclear weapons, and strategic alliances have served to limit wars to regional conflicts. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 11 Jan. 2026

They are trained to deescalate situations, not make some worse, not make conflict worse. —Isabel Danzis, ABC News, 11 Jan. 2026

Verb

In her comments, people were conflicted over who was in the right and who was in the wrong. —Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026

The budgetary dispute over how to simultaneously address these conflicting priorities had led to the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government. —Sudha David-Wilp, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2025