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
China may be happy to deflect these frictions and gain goodwill with Trump by showing its recent diplomacy with Iran as part of a good-faith effort to help Washington end the war.
—
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
Spoken words, brisk rhythms, and the pleasurable frictions of dissonance all remained frothy and intact.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
The Kremlin is also exploiting frictions between the United States and Europe over the latter’s reservations about the Iran war.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
From there, the film unfolds through a series of episodes shaped by displacement, awkward encounters and the frictions of contemporary Germany.
—Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
Across this soppy set of songs, the sum of these frictions is cyborgish and spectral, music from a MacBook whose dying wish was to see the world.
—Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 15 Apr. 2026
Still, long-term questions persist, and Apple has warned that tariffs, trade restrictions and geopolitical frictions could raise costs, disrupt supply and force restructuring of operations.
—Jennifer Elias, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
In more recent times, civil-military frictions have consisted almost entirely of civilian leaders pushing the military up to or over the bounds of traditional decorum or even the law.
—Kori Schake, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026
The implications of Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions are significant and extend well beyond bilateral frictions.
—Rabia Akhtar, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
Spoken words, brisk rhythms, and the pleasurable frictions of dissonance all remained frothy and intact.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
The Kremlin is also exploiting frictions between the United States and Europe over the latter’s reservations about the Iran war.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
From there, the film unfolds through a series of episodes shaped by displacement, awkward encounters and the frictions of contemporary Germany.
—Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
Across this soppy set of songs, the sum of these frictions is cyborgish and spectral, music from a MacBook whose dying wish was to see the world.
—Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 15 Apr. 2026
Still, long-term questions persist, and Apple has warned that tariffs, trade restrictions and geopolitical frictions could raise costs, disrupt supply and force restructuring of operations.
—Jennifer Elias, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
In more recent times, civil-military frictions have consisted almost entirely of civilian leaders pushing the military up to or over the bounds of traditional decorum or even the law.
—Kori Schake, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026
The implications of Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions are significant and extend well beyond bilateral frictions.
—Rabia Akhtar, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 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
Noun
-
In previous Middle East conflicts, American diplomats constantly shuttled across the region, working with allies to build up momentum for a political resolution.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
-
Instead, the data revealed a planet in flux where areas brightened explosively in one year and dimmed sharply the next; regions flickered in rhythms tied to oil booms, armed conflicts, and pandemic lockdowns.—
Bree Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Given the schisms, some in the GOP believe only a single party-line bill may end up passing before November.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
9 Apr. 2026
-
But over the past decade or so, major schisms have emerged.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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At the same time, however, the study documented dimming events including in Ukraine and Gaza as wars unfolded, in Venezuela as the economy collapsed, and in parts of Europe when governments enacted energy conservation mandates following the Russia-Ukraine war.—
Bree Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
-
If things go according to sales agents’ plans, the bidding wars will flow as freely as the rosé.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
No one person has incited violence, created divisions and preached hatred more than the current resident of the White House.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
The other eight divisions remain 32 teams and single elimination.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Dela Rosa’s legal predicament came as political disputes escalated between the Duterte family and Marcos.—
Jim Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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The rival superpowers entered the summit divided over thorny issues including Taiwan, trade disputes and the Iran war.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Noun
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In late April, the Fed voted again to hold but saw four dissents, the highest since 1992.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
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Those officials — Fed presidents Beth Hammack of Cleveland, Lorie Logan of Dallas and Neel Kashkari of Minneapolis — said in statements detailing their dissents that the Fed is not being forthcoming about the growing chances of a rate hike.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
Noun
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The most recent back-and-forth over talks comes after a week of sporadic clashes in the Persian Gulf, amid a month-long ceasefire.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
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Meanwhile, small-scale clashes continued around the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire between Iran and the United States.—
James LaPorta,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frictions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frictions. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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