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
Matt Richardson, CBS News, 19 May 2026
Recent conflicts have accelerated interest in unmanned maritime warfare.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 May 2026
Without that, review cycles slip, conflicts accumulate and the clean knowledge base the company started with quietly reverts to its prior state.
—Philip Brittan, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
The contest has been clouded for a third year by calls for Israel to be excluded over its conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere, with five longtime participants — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — boycotting in protest.
—Jill Lawless, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
With the world once again facing conflicts not seen in generations, this story couldn’t be more pertinent and necessary.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 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
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
While the Federal Reserve has kept its benchmark interest rate on hold so far in 2026, inflation surged in March and April on the back of a rising oil price, overseas conflicts and geopolitical uncertainty.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 19 May 2026
Recent conflicts have accelerated interest in unmanned maritime warfare.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 May 2026
Without that, review cycles slip, conflicts accumulate and the clean knowledge base the company started with quietly reverts to its prior state.
—Philip Brittan, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
The contest has been clouded for a third year by calls for Israel to be excluded over its conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere, with five longtime participants — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — boycotting in protest.
—Jill Lawless, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
With the world once again facing conflicts not seen in generations, this story couldn’t be more pertinent and necessary.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 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
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
-
These micro-frictions don’t disappear.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
By introducing features like an intuitive audio mixer, mandatory predictive navigation, and battery-bypassing stationary power, Google can address some of my biggest daily frictions.—
Gabriel Zamora,
PC Magazine,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
The protest turned violent with clashes breaking out between pro-Palestinian supporters, who were protesting an event hosted by the synagogue to promote land for sale in Israel, and pro-Israel counterprotesters.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
Widespread protests followed, along with some clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement and the deployment of the National Guard.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
The onset of hostilities was enough to persuade around a hundred and eighty Democrats to support the measure.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Russia and Ukraine accused each other of repeatedly violating the pause in hostilities.—
Samya Kullab,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
One of the fiercest divisional rivalries in the NFL will have a new look to it.—
Saad Yousuf,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
Cherfilus-McCormick referenced a previous interaction with Wasserman Schultz, signaling that political rivalries could intensify if both enter the race for District 20.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
12 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
-
Tempers flared between the teams, leading to a couple of skirmishes.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
-
Here are some photos from the second of three skirmishes in this always entertaining Show Me State clash.—
Jeff Rosen,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
The command post at Port of Shuaiba was similar to structures commonplace during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — before the rise of drone warfare.—
Michael Kaplan,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
-
For example, a large body of research looks at gender imbalances after wars, when societies lose large numbers of young men.—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
But if both of those battles end up as washes, the Knicks could pull away in this series because their work on the glass earns them extra shots.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
Trustees increasingly want leaders capable of navigating not only fundraising and research growth, but also the political battles reshaping higher education.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conflicts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflicts. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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