1
as in strife
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 clash
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
an armed conflict between strikers and strikebreakers
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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 rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the eternal conflict between the forces of good and evil
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to clash
to be out of harmony or agreement usually noticeably
his statement conflicts with the facts, as given in the police report
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of conflict
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
As conflicts continue worldwide, systems like Sea Wolf’s inflatable F-35 appear set to play a growing role.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2025
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
The deadlock in Congress stems from conflicting spending plans, with Republicans pushing for a clean bill, while Democrats have conditioned their support on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conflict
Noun
And while figuring out how to deal with fame was tough, Gaga admitted that the more difficult conflict ultimately turned out to be that between Gaga and Stefani.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
As conflicts continue worldwide, systems like Sea Wolf’s inflatable F-35 appear set to play a growing role.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
The political impact, meanwhile, is hard to predict as each side presents conflicting data points.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
The deadlock in Congress stems from conflicting spending plans, with Republicans pushing for a clean bill, while Democrats have conditioned their support on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conflict
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conflict
Noun
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Tensions arise when a struggling, idealistic poet meets his girlfriend’s family at their idyllic, hillside countryside home in Hong Sang-soo’s latest feature — a quietly profound meditation on the complexities of filial love and familial strife.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
30 Sep. 2025
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The singer has been compared to the late Amy Winehouse, in part because both are British and have deep, soulful voices that sing about personal strife and conflict.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Blame Mercury’s clash with Chiron!—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Previous attempts by activist flotillas to break the blockade have largely failed and sometimes sparked deadly clashes, including during the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla raid.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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His support for a ceasefire and emphasis on humanitarian needs echo the global desire for stability as hostilities continue and diplomatic efforts intensify.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
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For example, in a fiery defense of federal aid to the citizens of Alabama and Georgia devastated by recent Native American hostilities, Adams invoked Congress’s war powers, while calling attention to a deeper hypocrisy.—
Time,
Time,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But international rivalry between the United States and Canada, rekindled last season with two memorable games in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, will also take center stage in February when the NHL will break for players’ participation in the Winter Olympics for the first time in over a decade.—
Rob Rossi,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Set in 1980s England, the series follows the rivalry of two men who come to a head.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As a result, both cars collided in the fast lane.—
Lydia Mee,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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For the first time in a while, their pop world’s fully collided.—
Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Disboard lists many public discord servers and many young coders use the site, contributing a different demographic of coders.—
Stephen Cass,
IEEE Spectrum,
23 Sep. 2025
-
But warning signs of discord between networks and affiliates had been flashing for years.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
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These issues are not unique to the WNBA, as its affiliate league, the NBA, has weathered refereeing controversies and skirmishes over player pay for years.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
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Each new development is underscored by a lingering discomfort about the racial dynamics of the skirmish and about Maja taking action where Nourou might have wanted to leave the whole thing be.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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To end the war and reunite the remaining hostages with their mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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Broadening the menu with less expensive options is also a way for chain restaurants to fight back against fast food chains, which are currently embroiled in a war amongst themselves, according to Maeve Webster, president of consulting firm Menu Matters.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Conflict.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflict. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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