as in discords
a lack of agreement or harmony
there was friction between the two sides of the family
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Recent Examples of frictions
Trade frictions, geopolitical unease and safety concerns have also contributed to the drop in demand for travel stateside, travel experts told CNBC.
—
Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
Last year, the country’s reliance on exports to other countries drove China’s trade surplus to a record high, bringing frictions with nations that accuse China of flooding markets.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 3 Mar. 2026
Netflix’s metamorphosis into a fully traditional movie studio, complete with all the frictions of theatrical, remains incomplete, and may stay that way.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026
With a new government in Dhaka, there is cautious optimism that tougher economic frictions with New Delhi may ease.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 24 Feb. 2026
Understanding these frictions before adding more exposure can prevent unpleasant surprises later.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Geopolitical tensions, from ongoing conflicts to trade frictions, add fuel to gold’s safe-haven appeal.
—Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Old frictions become new frays in the very first episode as Norma (Burnett) and Linda, née Penelope (Dern), collide in a tête-à-tête dispensing new secrets and poignant credos after the explosive season one finale that left Robert (Ricky Martin) shot and Linda cuffed.
—Trey Williams, HollywoodReporter, 14 Dec. 2025
Regular checkout, after all, risks the frictions and foibles of human interaction.
—Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
Last year, the country’s reliance on exports to other countries drove China’s trade surplus to a record high, bringing frictions with nations that accuse China of flooding markets.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 3 Mar. 2026
Netflix’s metamorphosis into a fully traditional movie studio, complete with all the frictions of theatrical, remains incomplete, and may stay that way.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026
With a new government in Dhaka, there is cautious optimism that tougher economic frictions with New Delhi may ease.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 24 Feb. 2026
Understanding these frictions before adding more exposure can prevent unpleasant surprises later.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Geopolitical tensions, from ongoing conflicts to trade frictions, add fuel to gold’s safe-haven appeal.
—Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Old frictions become new frays in the very first episode as Norma (Burnett) and Linda, née Penelope (Dern), collide in a tête-à-tête dispensing new secrets and poignant credos after the explosive season one finale that left Robert (Ricky Martin) shot and Linda cuffed.
—Trey Williams, HollywoodReporter, 14 Dec. 2025
Regular checkout, after all, risks the frictions and foibles of human interaction.
—Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frictions
Noun
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Your dedicated Slack channels, private discords and endless Reddit threads.—
April Uchitel,
Flow Space,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The president noted that past military conflicts have dogged his predecessors, mentioning former President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and Jimmy Carter’s handling of the Iran hostage crisis.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Geopolitical conflicts and economic tensions this year have sparked a new wave of interest in gold as an investment.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There are still some trustbusters in the administration, especially at the FTC, which has avoided being pulled into messy lobbyist fights and White House schisms.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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The fracturing of the television audience parallels the schisms in America’s political culture, with viewers and voters increasingly sheltering in partisan echo chambers.—
Karrin Vasby Anderson,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But the military outcome and the political outcome are almost never the same thing, and the gap between them is where wars fail.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
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Linda Bilmes, a Harvard expert on the cost of wars, told me that the United States used up more than 20% of its entire worldwide stockpile of THAAD interceptors last year defending Israel during the 12-day war with Iran.—
Nicholas D. Kristof,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Flower lovers of all skill levels can enter the show with divisions ranging from horticulture and floral design to youth and photography.—
Martina Schimitschek,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Chait began his career in LAUSD classrooms teaching kindergarten before becoming a principal and later superintendent of the district’s then-Local District Northeast, one of the regional divisions that oversaw school communities across Northeast Los Angeles and parts of the San Fernando Valley.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Gonzalez directed drug trafficking, violence and other criminal activities within 18th Street territory, including extortion and mediating gang disputes, according to the indictment.—
Brittny Mejia,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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Since at least the war in Vietnam, courts have refused to referee disputes between the President and Congress over war powers.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The chair of the Fed has just one vote among a dozen on its rate-setting committee, but dissents against the chair are rare.—
Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
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But the high court, without comment or any noted dissents, refused to intervene.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The train, which was originally slated to open in 2023, has faced significant delays caused by clashes between the airport and contractor, LAX Integrated Express Solutions, over timeline, compensation and production.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were arrested in connection with the device at Saturday’s chaotic rally, which saw clashes between Lang and counterprotesters outside the Upper East Side mayoral residence of Mayor Mamdani.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frictions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frictions. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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