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
Caroline Wilburn, Houston Chronicle, 7 Jan. 2026
Online sleuths noted that Duff and Moore recently unfollowed Tisdale on Instagram, sparking more speculation about reasons for a falling-out, as TMZ reported.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
The Lakers were cooked, the playoff magic finally drained from a team without its two leading scorers, a team in the process of making every conceivable mistake, reality bouncing off their feet and ricocheting off their hips and falling out of their hands.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for falling-out
Noun
All four of the teens had attended North Shore Senior High School together and the altercation stemmed from a falling-out between Calicut and the driver of the other vehicle, court records state.
—Caroline Wilburn, Houston Chronicle, 7 Jan. 2026
Online sleuths noted that Duff and Moore recently unfollowed Tisdale on Instagram, sparking more speculation about reasons for a falling-out, as TMZ reported.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
Alvarado’s playing time against the Hawks came at the expense of the slumping Landry Shamet, who played 18 minutes in Game 1 and 10 in Game 2 before falling out of the primary rotation.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
The Lakers were cooked, the playoff magic finally drained from a team without its two leading scorers, a team in the process of making every conceivable mistake, reality bouncing off their feet and ricocheting off their hips and falling out of their hands.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for falling-out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falling-out
Noun
-
Video footage appeared to show Pretti recording the agents on his phone before a physical altercation began.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
During the altercation, police said the male victim produced a firearm and fired a single round.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The two get to bickering about her terrible track record, with Dennis hilariously failing to realize that this accusation includes him among the questionable men.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
-
For those of us interested in governing and not bickering, this is a good thing.—
Gail Slater,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That takes us to Monday afternoon and Jena proving that point by sharing behind-the-scenes content on social media in the form of a bikini parade from this year's fitting.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
And as the creator economy continues to grow in reach and profitability, content creators like Logan Walter are fundamentally proving its value.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
In a 2024 study, researchers found that chimpanzee mothers tended to step in to defend their children in quarrels—say, over food or space in a tree—in about half of cases the researchers observed in the wild.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
10 May 2026
-
As the trio quarrels, bonds and ventures through the wild unknown, Felix discovers that true bravery may change not only his own destiny, but also the future of his home.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
After fighting valiantly to ward off injury, the horse was euthanized in 2007, his courageous battle forever remembered at Churchill Downs, where his statue stands outside of Gate 1.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
-
Moscow's troops have been fighting in Ukraine for well over four years - longer than the Soviet involvement, from 1941-45, in what Russians refer to as the Great Patriotic War.—
Guy Faulconbridge,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The tight timeline puts a lot of pressure on the Artemis III lander testing mission, as well as the uncrewed tests proposed for SpaceX and Blue Origin, with funding for the latter coming out of the companies’ own pockets.—
Dan Vergano,
Scientific American,
11 May 2026
-
That eased some of the concern coming out of Game 2, when Thompson was one of Buffalo’s worst players.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
When Magyar emerged as an opposition figure, their disputes became a recurring story in the tabloids.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
The dispute, which has spanned three mayoral administrations going back to at least 2021, has now hit a breaking point.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Prosecutors, meanwhile, have emphasized the importance of transparency, arguing that allowing cameras in the courtroom helps counter misinformation and ensures public trust in the proceedings.—
Adam Sabes , Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
Dong wrote articles arguing for constitutional democracy, political reform and transparency in politics — views allowed to circulate freely in the past that are now taboo in China.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Falling-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falling-out. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
