DIFFER Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

differ

verb

ˈdi-fər

Definition of differ

as in to contrast

to be unlike; to not be the same my brother and I differ markedly in the way we handle money

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to disagree

to have a different opinion after much arguing, we simply have agreed to differ about the issue

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of differ But club sports differ greatly from varsity athletics in terms of funding and visibility. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026 The art and architecture that the Chavismo regime commissioned differed stylistically from what Jiménez had built, but the fundamental message remained the same. — Armando Ledezma, New Yorker, 30 June 2026 This Hollywood initiative advises major studios like Disney and Paramount on crafting stories that promote pluralism and humanize differing perspectives. — Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Why temperatures differed so much Triple-digit heat in places like Stovepipe Wells, California, is driven by a combination of geography and summer sun that makes the desert one of the most efficient heating environments on Earth. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for differ

Recent Examples of Synonyms for differ

Verb

Those gathering for the lying in state and funeral will contrast with huge nationwide protests in January that were met by a deadly crackdown by security forces that left thousands dead and sent shock waves around the world.

— Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 3 July 2026
The film uses their contrasting outlooks to raise questions about the responsibilities of witnessing tragedy through a camera lens.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 July 2026

Definition of contrast

Verb

But tensions remain high, with the sides exchanging fire at one point and continuing to publicly disagree about key issues.

— Dan Mangan,Luke Fountain,Kevin Breuninger,Garrett Downs,Ashley Capoot,Justin Papp, CNBC, 2 July 2026
However, senior administration officials became worried that users might be able to circumvent Fable 5’s guardrails — though experts disagreed over the severity of the risk.

— Jared Perlo, NBC news, 1 July 2026

Definition of disagree

Verb

In the video, Johnson said the nuggets cost a little more than $17 and the buns were 25 cents each at his local restaurant, though prices vary by market.

— Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 7 July 2026
The layoffs will affect almost every division at Xbox, a source tells Variety, but will vary in size across developers including Activision, Bethesda/ZeniMax, Blizzard, King, Mojang, and Xbox Game Studios.

— Jennifer Maas, Variety, 6 July 2026

Definition of vary

Browse Nearby Words

diets

differ

differed

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Differ.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/differ. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of differ

verb

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