Synonyms of conflict

conflict

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

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

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong warned that the economy has yet to feel the full impact of the Middle East conflict, and uncertainty remains over the growth outlook despite a strong performance in the first quarter. —Philip Heijmans, Bloomberg, 8 June 2026

The Center for Conflict Resolution is a nonprofit that focuses on conflict de-escalation training and restorative justice education. —Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 8 June 2026

The program uses outreach workers and violence interrupters to de-escalate violent conflict. —Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 8 June 2026

Our present disagreements would have astonished the historians of the mid-20th century, who found America more remarkable for its consensus than for its conflicts. —Yoni Appelbaum, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026