as in altercation
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
the two friends have been lonely and miserable since they had a falling-out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in bickering
to express different opinions about something often angrily
club members were soon falling out about how to spend the money they'd made washing cars
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in proving
to come to be
I had planned to have a sports career, but things fell out otherwise
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 falling-out
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Then came the almighty falling-out between Musk and Trump, with the latter threatening to pull contracts for Musk’s private businesses.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2025
Mark Critchley, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2025
Late last year, before falling out with the president, Elon Musk called for more highly skilled workers as did and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for falling-out
Noun
Then in early June, the two close allies had a volatile public falling-out over a spending bill that saw them both trading threats that could have severely hampered spaceflight operations.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Then came the almighty falling-out between Musk and Trump, with the latter threatening to pull contracts for Musk’s private businesses.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
Luke Shaw’s readiness to charge down a ball falling out of the sky, burst through a mass of bodies and bludgeon it towards Casemiro for a tap-in was everything Amorim had asked for.
—Mark Critchley, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2025
Late last year, before falling out with the president, Elon Musk called for more highly skilled workers as did and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for falling-out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falling-out
Noun
-
In May, Van Hecke was involved in an altercation in training with then-Brighton team-mate Joao Pedro.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Sanchez, 38, was involved in an altercation with the 69-year-old truck driver in the early-morning hours of Saturday, when police said the driver allegedly stabbed Sanchez while defending himself during a fight.—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Jennifer Aniston’s Alex Levy, Reese Witherspoon’s Bradley Jackson, and the other members of The Morning Show’s newsroom and its network are once again bickering and backstabbing.—
Emma Alpern,
Vulture,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Coaches are also bickering about money, a topic that would have felt out of place 10 years ago.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This is a historic case proving Texas will not tolerate crimes against mothers and their preborn children.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Bubble hems returned across skirts, pants and jackets, proving the detail can feel sharp and modern when well executed, while skirts in every form — sharp and structured, flowing and asymmetric — emerged as the defining piece of spring 2026.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Hip-Hop has equally thrived on legendary quarrels and strong relationships.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
However, lovers’ quarrels or difficulty dealing with children (hissy fits or meltdowns) might occur.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Meet Nashville's new crime-fighting Clydesdale Metro Nashville mounted patrol officer Michael Douglas squeezed a three-foot-long rubber chicken, producing an increasingly louder and closer screeching sound to try and provoke a 1,700-pound Clydesdale named Ross.—
Laura L. Davis,
Nashville Tennessean,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The event, launched in 1982, celebrates the freedom to read and express ideas and emphasizes the importance of fighting censorship.—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
After coming out of the locker room at halftime, Johnson stopped for an interview with NFL on CBS sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Video on social media showed a drink coming out of the gallery and hitting McIlroy’s wife in her hat, sparking more anger from the Northern Irishman.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Palladinos departed after Season 6 due to contract disputes with WB, and David Rosenthal stepped in as showrunner and head writer.—
Anna Tingley,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The dispute occurred during a hearing on a Republican bill to ban public funds for health care for undocumented immigrants.—
Jessie Opoien,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The American Chemistry Council took issue with the report’s findings on low birth weight and liver issues, arguing that the evidence wasn’t as robust as the report claimed.—
Sharon Lerner,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Johnson’s son said that women were arguing with his mother about sharing the insurance information.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Falling-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falling-out. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share