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
Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 12 May 2026
Instead, the data revealed a planet in flux where areas brightened explosively in one year and dimmed sharply the next; regions flickered in rhythms tied to oil booms, armed conflicts, and pandemic lockdowns.
—Bree Shirvell, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2026
Work of this kind is about collectivity as a means of fighting the man—an especially relevant topic as any during continued conflicts in Palestine, Iran, Ukraine, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, all of which haunt the Carnegie International.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 12 May 2026
The meetings in Beijing, set for Thursday and Friday, could be a watershed moment for the adversarial superpowers, whose fragile relationship has been snarled up by a flurry of economic and political conflicts in the past year alone.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 12 May 2026
Makary’s efforts on drug reviews were overshadowed by internal conflicts and upheavals that created headaches for drugmakers, investors and patients.
—Matthew Perrone, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
The scheduling conflicts would be so many that the Wings would be left to pick from a handful of bad dates, especially in the spring when the Mavs and Stars would have potential playoff games.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 May 2026
Congress has repeatedly demonstrated an aversion to pulling the plug on conflicts initiated without congressional approval or even consultation.
—James Cramer, Baltimore Sun, 11 May 2026
Since 2023, Israel has been embroiled in conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and Yemen.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 May 2026
Intuitive Surgical also conflicts with our recent initiation of Johnson & Johnson, which is seeking to enter the robotic surgery market.
—Paulina Likos, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2026
The immediate gratification demanded by right-wing influencers inevitably conflicts with the level of behind-the-scenes preparation required to bring even the most slapdash case in court.
—Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2026
Dartmouth professor Jeff Friedman noted that younger voters grew up with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, conflicts that the public became disenchanted with.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2026
The design is a puddle of oil seeping high above and across the boulevard that conflicts with its surroundings.
—Arts Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 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
Noun
In previous Middle East conflicts, American diplomats constantly shuttled across the region, working with allies to build up momentum for a political resolution.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 12 May 2026
Instead, the data revealed a planet in flux where areas brightened explosively in one year and dimmed sharply the next; regions flickered in rhythms tied to oil booms, armed conflicts, and pandemic lockdowns.
—Bree Shirvell, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2026
Work of this kind is about collectivity as a means of fighting the man—an especially relevant topic as any during continued conflicts in Palestine, Iran, Ukraine, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, all of which haunt the Carnegie International.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 12 May 2026
The meetings in Beijing, set for Thursday and Friday, could be a watershed moment for the adversarial superpowers, whose fragile relationship has been snarled up by a flurry of economic and political conflicts in the past year alone.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 12 May 2026
Makary’s efforts on drug reviews were overshadowed by internal conflicts and upheavals that created headaches for drugmakers, investors and patients.
—Matthew Perrone, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
The scheduling conflicts would be so many that the Wings would be left to pick from a handful of bad dates, especially in the spring when the Mavs and Stars would have potential playoff games.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 May 2026
Congress has repeatedly demonstrated an aversion to pulling the plug on conflicts initiated without congressional approval or even consultation.
—James Cramer, Baltimore Sun, 11 May 2026
Since 2023, Israel has been embroiled in conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and Yemen.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
In an oppositional reading of a media text, the audience comprehends that the message conflicts with or contradicts their personal experiences of society.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 May 2026
Intuitive Surgical also conflicts with our recent initiation of Johnson & Johnson, which is seeking to enter the robotic surgery market.
—Paulina Likos, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2026
The immediate gratification demanded by right-wing influencers inevitably conflicts with the level of behind-the-scenes preparation required to bring even the most slapdash case in court.
—Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2026
Dartmouth professor Jeff Friedman noted that younger voters grew up with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, conflicts that the public became disenchanted with.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2026
The design is a puddle of oil seeping high above and across the boulevard that conflicts with its surroundings.
—Arts Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conflicts
Noun
-
China may be happy to deflect these frictions and gain goodwill with Trump by showing its recent diplomacy with Iran as part of a good-faith effort to help Washington end the war.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
-
Spoken words, brisk rhythms, and the pleasurable frictions of dissonance all remained frothy and intact.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The most recent back-and-forth over talks comes after a week of sporadic clashes in the Persian Gulf, amid a month-long ceasefire.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, small-scale clashes continued around the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire between Iran and the United States.—
James LaPorta,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Since Iran closed the strait in late February following the outbreak of hostilities, tankers have bottlenecked across the region as the vital oil chokepoint remains largely shut.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
-
The Israeli military offensive in Lebanon has wiped out nearly a quarter of agricultural land in areas touched by hostilities, the Lebanese government reported today, as lethal strikes battered parts of the south.—
Mustafa Qadri,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
That’s why the series’ episodes that focus specifically on his rivalries with other climbers, in particular Honnold and Hunt, feel the most enlightening.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
-
The unanimous decision came during a nine-hour-long meeting that included several tense moments arising out of longstanding political rivalries.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Your dedicated Slack channels, private discords and endless Reddit threads.—
April Uchitel,
Flow Space,
6 Aug. 2025
-
In every case, physical science, which is based on the evidence reported by these limited and limiting senses, eventually leaves us stranded with the conviction that sickness, accidents, and disasters – discords of every description, regardless of the apparent cause – are real and inevitable.—
Lisa Rennie Sytsma,
Christian Science Monitor,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
The game was delayed with just under six minutes on the clock after several skirmishes broke out, leading to the ejections of Seals captain Wes Berg and Toronto’s Elijah Gash.—
Ivan Carter,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 May 2026
-
The early skirmishes certainly appeared that way.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, however, the study documented dimming events including in Ukraine and Gaza as wars unfolded, in Venezuela as the economy collapsed, and in parts of Europe when governments enacted energy conservation mandates following the Russia-Ukraine war.—
Bree Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
-
If things go according to sales agents’ plans, the bidding wars will flow as freely as the rosé.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The Alabama case is part of a broader national wave of redistricting battles.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
12 May 2026
-
In the legal battles that will follow, artificial intelligence may prove to be the sharpest tool in the courtroom.—
Philip Wang,
Time,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conflicts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflicts. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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