FRICTIONS Synonyms: 71 Similar and Opposite Words

frictions

noun

plural of friction

as in discords

a lack of agreement or harmony there was friction between the two sides of the family

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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 frictions Although many top‑level policy frameworks read promisingly, structural frictions create risk that reforms won’t deliver limited real‑world impact, Tang said. — Russell Flannery, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Wuthering Heights In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte presents a world of conflicts, frictions between families, passions, and attachments—especially those of Catherine Earnshaw and the tortured Heathcliff—across an untamed landscape. — Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026 One mismatch driving current frictions may be how both sides view that term. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026 When algorithms see these frictions falling away, the need for a driver premium plummets, deflating the surge price. — Christopher S. Tang, The Conversation, 8 July 2026 These are the unglamorous frictions that decide whether the idea ever becomes infrastructure. — New Atlas, 2 July 2026 Loudoun County has its frictions with industry, but the local political coalition in support of data centers is durable because residents see the money. — Warren Wimmer, Mercury News, 24 June 2026 In the months that followed, frictions only deepened. — Kyra Colah, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026 Tensions between Rian and Patrick flare when Rian drunkenly mentions a brief fling with Shiv, though the film’s clunky edit, which gives little room for the performances to breathe and play out organically within their contexts, makes these frictions feel stilted and juvenile. — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 22 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for frictions

Noun

Your dedicated Slack channels, private discords and endless Reddit threads.

— April Uchitel, Flow Space, 6 Aug. 2025
In every case, physical science, which is based on the evidence reported by these limited and limiting senses, eventually leaves us stranded with the conviction that sickness, accidents, and disasters – discords of every description, regardless of the apparent cause – are real and inevitable.

— Lisa Rennie Sytsma, Christian Science Monitor, 20 June 2025

Definition of discords

Noun

Moments like this are really what Housewives is supposed to be about — a genuine sisterhood with deep ties that take precedence over superfluous conflicts.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
The average company is 109 years old, and more than half have been in business for over a century, surviving global conflicts and adapting through multiple industrial revolutions.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of conflicts

Noun

But schisms and heel digging are probably inevitable in such uncertain fields, Catling says.

— Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026
This turns into a big argument about Issa being a weird little guy, and suddenly there are multiple potential roommate schisms in the house.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of schisms

Noun

These and other wars in the region came at a huge human cost, too.

— Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, revered by the global left for his stance on migration and the wars in Gaza and Iran, has faced mass protests over the Ceuta border crisis.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of wars

Noun

Gilbertson’s involvement in the ports grew out of a series of chaotic mergers that in the 1990s led to endless disputes among shippers and the railroads about whose cargo would move first.

— John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Trump declined to endorse Thune for a future term as leader amid disputes over passing the SAVE America Act and eliminating the filibuster.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of disputes

Noun

Since his confirmation earlier this year, the central bank has split further on whether inflation is truly transitory; last month’s decision to keep rates steady resulted in the most dissents since 1970.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
No explanation on the decision was included, and no dissents were noted.

— Lindsay Kimble, PEOPLE, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of dissents

Noun

Next year’s schedule avoids clashes with two other auto racing highlights, the Indianapolis 500 on May 30 and the Le Mans 24-hour race on June 12-13.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
Two years ago, in the lead-up to one of these clashes, a reporter coaxed a smile out of then-Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

— Alec Lewis, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of clashes

Browse Nearby Words

frictionless

frictions

fried

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“Frictions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frictions. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of frictions

noun

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