1
as in frictions
a lack of agreement or harmony
the conflict between absolute freedom and personal responsibility
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
De Elizabeth, Glamour, 17 Mar. 2026
Teaching students how to explore connections between characters and conflicts in a novel to people and situations in their own lives makes resorting to chatbots less appealing, if not altogether useless.
—Gayle Rogers, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026
Uncertainty over the war’s scope and duration have roiled financial markets since the war began just over two weeks ago, though markets have a track record of bouncing back relatively quickly from military conflicts.
—Matt Ott, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Trump has repeatedly blamed Biden for international problems, including the conflicts between Israel and Gaza and Russian and Ukraine.
—Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Cuba’s foreign investment law, for example, does not include third-party arbitration for conflicts between companies or between companies and the state.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
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
Trump has criticized his presidential predecessors for dragging out other conflicts in the Middle East.
—Dan Mangan,eamon Javers, CNBC, 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
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
Romantasy books blend the best of both the fantasy and romance genres, delivering high-stakes political conflicts, endless action and plot twists, and, of course, swoon-worthy love.
—De Elizabeth, Glamour, 17 Mar. 2026
Teaching students how to explore connections between characters and conflicts in a novel to people and situations in their own lives makes resorting to chatbots less appealing, if not altogether useless.
—Gayle Rogers, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026
Uncertainty over the war’s scope and duration have roiled financial markets since the war began just over two weeks ago, though markets have a track record of bouncing back relatively quickly from military conflicts.
—Matt Ott, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Trump has repeatedly blamed Biden for international problems, including the conflicts between Israel and Gaza and Russian and Ukraine.
—Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Cuba’s foreign investment law, for example, does not include third-party arbitration for conflicts between companies or between companies and the state.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
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
Trump has criticized his presidential predecessors for dragging out other conflicts in the Middle East.
—Dan Mangan,eamon Javers, CNBC, 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
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
-
North Korea’s often-wild rhetoric, combined with nuclear weapons development, adds further international frictions.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Polls give Magyar's Tisza party a double-digit lead with Hungarians weary of years of corruption accusations, clashes with the EU and economic stagnation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Mar. 2026
-
His tactics, including throwing gas canisters into crowds of protesters, led to a lawsuit in Chicago and clashes with other administration officials.—
Julia Ainsley,
NBC news,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But since this conflict started, Iran has been attacking the energy infrastructure all around the Gulf, even among nations with no hostilities towards Iran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's Ruwais refinery, the largest in the Middle East, was shut as a precaution after a drone strike caused a fire, while operators in Fujairah temporarily suspended some terminal activity amid hostilities.—
Emma Graham,
CNBC,
15 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 war began after several rounds of airstrikes and cross-border skirmishes, stemming from Pakistani claims that the Afghan government was harboring terrorists who used the country as a base to launch attacks against Pakistan.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Mar. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
In many wars, citizens are able to supplement official reporting with first-person accounts posted on social media and widely shared, Rahimi said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
She's also covered the cartel wars along the TX-MX border, Congress in Mexico City, 3 presidential races, and 6 hurricanes.—
Karen Brooks Harper
Austin Bureau,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Guests experienced the unexpected pairing of CHEETOS FLAMIN’ HOT and dill pickle through product sampling, custom cocktails, fan-favorite arcade games, karaoke battles, and a high-energy dancefloor soundtracked by Loud Luxury’s signature mashups.—
Billboard Staff,
Billboard,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Understandably, some gamers may be skeptical or even alarmed, given the ethical issues and legal battles surrounding generative AI.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conflicts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflicts. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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