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 and diplomatic frictions aside, Japanese companies are positive on business growth, with the Bank of Japan’s Tankan survey showing that sentiment among Japanese companies mostly improved in the fourth quarter, especially among small manufacturers.
—
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2025
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
The team’s more hardcore fans in the past have also been outspoken supporters of Hong Kong’s unique Cantonese identity, culture and language, something that has occasionally caused political frictions with local authorities.
—Fred He, CNN Money, 18 Nov. 2025
For Youakim, those frictions remain invitations to find a better way.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 12 Nov. 2025
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
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
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2025
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
The team’s more hardcore fans in the past have also been outspoken supporters of Hong Kong’s unique Cantonese identity, culture and language, something that has occasionally caused political frictions with local authorities.
—Fred He, CNN Money, 18 Nov. 2025
For Youakim, those frictions remain invitations to find a better way.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 12 Nov. 2025
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
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
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
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The township is arguing that state law regarding government employee protections against lawsuits conflicts with federal court rulings.—
Laura A. Bischoff,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Similar false or misleading content has circulated during the Israeli-Palestine and Russia-Ukraine conflicts.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But aggregate consumer spending masks schisms below the surface.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
2 Oct. 2025
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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
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She's also covered the cartel wars along the TX-MX border, Congress in Mexico City, 3 presidential races, and 6 hurricanes.—
Karen Brooks Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Jan. 2026
-
No One Knows What to Call Venezuela The wars since 1945 have not actually been so explicitly about resources, yet the President can't seem to stop talking about oil and energy.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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Any novel about a train is a study of society and its ineradicable divisions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Opening arguments in a Stanford felony vandalism case began Friday amid sharp disputes over whether political views tied to Israel’s war in Gaza should factor into the trial — an issue that has shaped the case from its earliest stages.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
10 Jan. 2026
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Keeping Tabs on Car and Insurance-Related Documents Good documentation helps save time and stress during claims or disputes.—
Ethan M. Stone,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The seventh and senior justice, Jorge Labarga, born in Cuba and raised in Pahokee, will continue to write solitary dissents.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The seventh and senior justice, Jorge Labarga, born in Cuba and raised in Pahokee, will continue to write solitary dissents.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
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 Jan. 2026.
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