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
If Beijing now doubles down on subsidizing both cutting-edge and traditional industries, the result could be an even greater glut of Chinese products globally, exacerbating trade frictions.
—
Shaoyu Yuan, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2025
The measures were greeted with relief by many in the global business community, which for months has been ensnared in the uncertainty of up-and-down economic frictions between the world’s two largest economies.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Its successes against a military government that has Russian backing have already underscored the growing regional instability, which is spreading increasing chaos and propelling ever more migrants toward Europe and other more stable West African states and increasing political frictions there.
—Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Indexing or eliminating caps would shift the burden from those least able to pay and smooth market frictions hurting families of all ages.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025
Because of these frictions, more and more types of companies that function across borders are looking to stablecoins as practical tools.
—Aaron Stanley, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Subscribe Technological sovereignty is a topic that has been gaining momentum in the last year or so as geopolitical frictions have forced companies to assess their reliance on foreign technologies.
—Ryan Browne, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
The reciprocal tariff proposals have faced legal challenges, and strict immigration measures have sparked nationwide protests, exposing the social and ethical frictions underlying the country’s shifting priorities.
—Time, 6 Aug. 2025
The meeting comes as global trade frictions heat up, with Beijing seeking to secure closer economic and political ties with the bloc to hedge against uncertainties in its relations with the United States.
—Liz Lee, Reuters, 21 July 2025
Shaoyu Yuan, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2025
The measures were greeted with relief by many in the global business community, which for months has been ensnared in the uncertainty of up-and-down economic frictions between the world’s two largest economies.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Its successes against a military government that has Russian backing have already underscored the growing regional instability, which is spreading increasing chaos and propelling ever more migrants toward Europe and other more stable West African states and increasing political frictions there.
—Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Indexing or eliminating caps would shift the burden from those least able to pay and smooth market frictions hurting families of all ages.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025
Because of these frictions, more and more types of companies that function across borders are looking to stablecoins as practical tools.
—Aaron Stanley, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Subscribe Technological sovereignty is a topic that has been gaining momentum in the last year or so as geopolitical frictions have forced companies to assess their reliance on foreign technologies.
—Ryan Browne, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
The reciprocal tariff proposals have faced legal challenges, and strict immigration measures have sparked nationwide protests, exposing the social and ethical frictions underlying the country’s shifting priorities.
—Time, 6 Aug. 2025
The meeting comes as global trade frictions heat up, with Beijing seeking to secure closer economic and political ties with the bloc to hedge against uncertainties in its relations with the United States.
—Liz Lee, Reuters, 21 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frictions
Noun
-
Your dedicated Slack channels, private discords and endless Reddit threads.—
April Uchitel,
Flow Space,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Some of those territories were invaded with the tacit support of Western allies keen to prop up an anti-communist leader, at a time when proxy conflicts backed by the US and the Soviet Union raged across the Global South.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
-
These two conflicts heat up very quickly, with Dale plunging his elbow into the soup and then getting in Ron’s face, telling him to kiss it.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
But aggregate consumer spending masks schisms below the surface.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
2 Oct. 2025
-
This brings us to the differences between the characters, which point to pivotal schisms between Anderson and Pynchon as storytellers.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Germany and France fought centuries of bloody wars before becoming the bedrock of the European Union.—
Jon Medved,
semafor.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Fossil fuel production is still increasing, driving up planet-warming pollution; the United States is in climate denial mode; and turbulent geopolitics have pushed the climate crisis down the agenda and into the culture wars.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Some Democrats mentioned as 2028 presidential hopefuls appeared frustrated with the discussion on the divisions facing the party and said that voters are not ultrafocused on that, and that Republicans don’t really bother with that.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Any novel about a train is a study of society and its ineradicable divisions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Thousands of both Christians and Muslims have been killed, with violence also stemming from non-religious disputes, such as those over natural resources.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The ongoing 36-day closure has sparked disputes over a range of topics — from the separation of powers and the federal workforce, to food assistance and air traffic control.—
Sam Gringlas,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
But, in recent years, several of the conservative Justices, in dissents, have seemed ready to start striking down some delegations as being too unspecific to be consistent with the separation of powers.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
6 Nov. 2025
-
That was the first time since 2019 there were dissents calling for both easier and tighter policy.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Since Assad’s ousting, Syria has seen flare-ups of deadly sectarian violence, with clashes erupting between security forces and those loyal to the former president, including in Syria’s coastal Latakia region in March.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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As for South Sudan, a senior United Nations official said earlier this week that the ongoing conflict in Sudan is causing destabilization in South Sudan, including armed clashes and food insecurity.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frictions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frictions. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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