1
as in frictions
a lack of agreement or harmony
the conflict between absolute freedom and personal responsibility
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clashes
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
an armed conflict between strikers and strikebreakers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 rivalries
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 collides
to be out of harmony or agreement usually noticeably
his statement conflicts with the facts, as given in the police report
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of conflicts
Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Geopolitical conflicts and economic tensions this year have sparked a new wave of interest in gold as an investment.
—Liz Knueven, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
Design components that disperse them at such heights — including a protective coating on the submunitions that can withstand the heat of atmospheric reentry — appear to show they were built for far less precise use than cluster munitions seen in other conflicts.
—Melanie Lidman, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
The incidents underscore a broader erosion of long-standing norms against attacking civilian infrastructure, Michel said, noting conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Iraq.
—Annika Hammerschlag, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2026
Two live conflicts in this same broken, mountainous arc mean risks have more than doubled.
—Mihir Sharma, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
That could also create other kinds of conflicts, economic crises in our country or in other countries.
—ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
But China has consistently steered clear of direct involvement in its partners’ conflicts, showing little appetite for wading into Middle Eastern security matters beyond protecting its own assets.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
Despite the retreats in many markets, the reactions to the war have been moderated by the fact that past military conflicts in the Middle East haven't caused long-term declines.
—CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
That approach also conflicts with the national framework governing commercial driver licensing.
—Bhupinder Kaur, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
And that sometimes conflicts with folks who jump in on discussions right as things are happening.
—Zack Pierce, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
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, 3 Nov. 2025
The center guides parties through community issues like noise but also conflicts with roommates and landlords.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Morrisey hasn’t withdrawn his executive order, which conflicts with the state’s immunization law, and has generated confusion and uncertainty.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025
Work culture, tennis or otherwise, rewards busyness and often self-sacrifice, which conflicts with self-care and mental health.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
The president noted that past military conflicts have dogged his predecessors, mentioning former President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and Jimmy Carter’s handling of the Iran hostage crisis.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Geopolitical conflicts and economic tensions this year have sparked a new wave of interest in gold as an investment.
—Liz Knueven, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
Design components that disperse them at such heights — including a protective coating on the submunitions that can withstand the heat of atmospheric reentry — appear to show they were built for far less precise use than cluster munitions seen in other conflicts.
—Melanie Lidman, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
The incidents underscore a broader erosion of long-standing norms against attacking civilian infrastructure, Michel said, noting conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Iraq.
—Annika Hammerschlag, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2026
Two live conflicts in this same broken, mountainous arc mean risks have more than doubled.
—Mihir Sharma, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
That could also create other kinds of conflicts, economic crises in our country or in other countries.
—ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
But China has consistently steered clear of direct involvement in its partners’ conflicts, showing little appetite for wading into Middle Eastern security matters beyond protecting its own assets.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
Despite the retreats in many markets, the reactions to the war have been moderated by the fact that past military conflicts in the Middle East haven't caused long-term declines.
—CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
But Balzano rejects the idea that fast development automatically conflicts with automotive reliability.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
That approach also conflicts with the national framework governing commercial driver licensing.
—Bhupinder Kaur, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
And that sometimes conflicts with folks who jump in on discussions right as things are happening.
—Zack Pierce, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
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, 3 Nov. 2025
The center guides parties through community issues like noise but also conflicts with roommates and landlords.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Morrisey hasn’t withdrawn his executive order, which conflicts with the state’s immunization law, and has generated confusion and uncertainty.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025
Work culture, tennis or otherwise, rewards busyness and often self-sacrifice, which conflicts with self-care and mental health.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conflicts
Noun
-
Trade frictions, geopolitical unease and safety concerns have also contributed to the drop in demand for travel stateside, travel experts told CNBC.—
Sarah Whitten,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Last year, the country’s reliance on exports to other countries drove China’s trade surplus to a record high, bringing frictions with nations that accuse China of flooding markets.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The train, which was originally slated to open in 2023, has faced significant delays caused by clashes between the airport and contractor, LAX Integrated Express Solutions, over timeline, compensation and production.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were arrested in connection with the device at Saturday’s chaotic rally, which saw clashes between Lang and counterprotesters outside the Upper East Side mayoral residence of Mayor Mamdani.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Aluminum hit the highest in almost four years before erasing gains, as escalating hostilities in the Middle East worsened the supply outlook from the region, while copper and other industrial metals fell on falling risk appetite.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Moscow is profiting from a spike in oil prices, and the Kremlin bets a windfall from prolonged hostilities could help boost its coffers to pay for military operations in Ukraine and plug a budget deficit, The Associated Press wrote.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Despite long-standing rivalries among senior Iranian politicians — many of whom hold powerful political positions and control significant economic resources — these factions quickly set aside their differences and pledged loyalty to him.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
-
So many of these issues are driven by issues of governance, economic competition, and various regional rivalries, which sometimes play out through proxy groups.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Your dedicated Slack channels, private discords and endless Reddit threads.—
April Uchitel,
Flow Space,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The two also got into multiple skirmishes back in December during a recent Lakers-Suns game, including James knocking down Brooks after some contact from the NBA's all-time leading scorer.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Enrigue’s novel is inspired by the long-running Apache Wars of the 19th century, a series of brutal skirmishes between various Apache bands and the armies of the United States and Mexico.—
Carolina A. Miranda,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But the military outcome and the political outcome are almost never the same thing, and the gap between them is where wars fail.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Linda Bilmes, a Harvard expert on the cost of wars, told me that the United States used up more than 20% of its entire worldwide stockpile of THAAD interceptors last year defending Israel during the 12-day war with Iran.—
Nicholas D. Kristof,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Comfort battles formality fighting to break free.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
For example, one recent night, the room between Cardboard Corner Café and TableTop was set up for Warhammer, where enthusiasts collect, build, and paint miniatures, and fight strategic tabletop battles.—
Debra Skodack,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conflicts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflicts. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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