as in alienation
the loss of friendship or affection
a silly quarrel that eventually resulted in a complete and lasting estrangement between the onetime friends
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Recent Examples of estrangement
Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham are back to being on speaking terms, several years after an estrangement caused by Buckingham’s firing from Fleetwood Mac and decades of relishing the most tumultuous (and hot) relationship in rock history.
—
Devon Ivie, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
In the Odyssey, Homer depicts Helen and Menelaus’s reunion as uneasy and sometimes tearful, after years of estrangement.
—Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Not having a mom due to death, illness, or estrangement can increase the risk of postpartum depression.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 23 Oct. 2025
Levi means the world to him, and this estrangement is causing Alex physical and mental health problems.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025
The six-part drama, produced by Banijay UK’s Mam Tor Productions, follows two men across four decades of friendship and estrangement in Glasgow and is set to debut in 2026.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
But my sense is that estrangement, in one form or another, is at the core of all fiction, film, and art in general.
—Nina Mesfin, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
That empty seat marks the beginning of a painful estrangement, as Ana confronts loneliness for the first time, far from the protection of her parents and her closest companion.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
The home functions not only as a symbolic site for intimate matters, but also as an indefinite space that could exist anywhere in the world, reflecting the sense of estrangement many people feel when moving abroad, far from their country of origin.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025
Devon Ivie, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
In the Odyssey, Homer depicts Helen and Menelaus’s reunion as uneasy and sometimes tearful, after years of estrangement.
—Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Not having a mom due to death, illness, or estrangement can increase the risk of postpartum depression.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 23 Oct. 2025
Levi means the world to him, and this estrangement is causing Alex physical and mental health problems.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025
The six-part drama, produced by Banijay UK’s Mam Tor Productions, follows two men across four decades of friendship and estrangement in Glasgow and is set to debut in 2026.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
But my sense is that estrangement, in one form or another, is at the core of all fiction, film, and art in general.
—Nina Mesfin, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
That empty seat marks the beginning of a painful estrangement, as Ana confronts loneliness for the first time, far from the protection of her parents and her closest companion.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
The home functions not only as a symbolic site for intimate matters, but also as an indefinite space that could exist anywhere in the world, reflecting the sense of estrangement many people feel when moving abroad, far from their country of origin.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for estrangement
Noun
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Conceived as a kaleidoscopic mosaic spanning from Kafka’s birth in 19th-century Prague to his death in post–World War I Vienna, Holland’s film captures both the man and the myth, revealing the writer’s creative vision, alienation, and lasting cultural imprint.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
31 Oct. 2025
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Where the first half of the 1600 conversation explored how young men are drifting toward the right through grievance, alienation and algorithmic content, this installment challenges Democrats to confront their own inertia.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Most will also suffer from divorce, failed franchises, hair loss and sudden hair regrowth.—
Choire Sicha,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Jamil will appear in The Split Up, set in the world of Manchester’s high-net-worth divorce circuit.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Even so, some observers see the schism as an opportunity to relitigate the relitigation.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
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Unlike his isolated vote in 2006, the schism runs much deeper now.—
Frederic J. Frommer,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Even the employees, once the guardians of glamour, linger on smoke breaks with the weary disaffection of people simply marking time.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
31 Aug. 2025
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Other bands, such as Arcade Fire and the Postal Service, were turning away from the disaffection that characterized Gen X rock to express bighearted feelings in bespoke ways.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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There would be no breakup, no hard words, no goodbyes.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
2 Nov. 2025
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The band released a statement assuring that Arcade Fire will continue despite the breakup.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The film’s title may be overstated, but there’s no denying the way the song’s message about longing, separation, and regret affected an inordinately wide range of people who heard it.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
5 Nov. 2025
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Transition services for service members nearing separation have been halted as well.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In an exchange reproduced on screen, a fan asked Stause about her rift with Hernan.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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Whether the courts view that rift as administrative failure or unlawful negligence may determine the financial futures of a generation of borrowers—and the credibility of the agency that lent to them.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Estrangement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/estrangement. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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