1
as in buddy
a person who has a strong liking for and trust in another
really close friends who like to do everything together and are always sharing secrets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in proponent
a person who actively supports or favors a cause
hopes that the new governor will be a friend to environmental causes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to befriend
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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 friend
Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Built in 1922 as a home and studio for Schindler, his wife Pauline, and friends, the house alone is worth a visit, but there are also rotating exhibitions by other artists that regularly take place there.
—Jocelyn Silver, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2026
Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
For a leveled-up beef bite, head on over to BEAR Steak Sandwiches, where longtime friends Ricardo Barrientos and Aki Erenberg have found the mathematically conclusive perfect ratio of steak to soft, tasty Portuguese buns in their beef sandwiches (no actual bears on the menu here).
—Gizelle Lau, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for friend
Noun
Kevin and Alison were a part of a tight group of friends who were regulars at the East Haven Tavern where Jodi Espy and Jessica Eakright take care of the crowd.
—Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Built in 1922 as a home and studio for Schindler, his wife Pauline, and friends, the house alone is worth a visit, but there are also rotating exhibitions by other artists that regularly take place there.
—Jocelyn Silver, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
Might friend Taylor Swift be on hand to introduce one of her musical performances?
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
For a leveled-up beef bite, head on over to BEAR Steak Sandwiches, where longtime friends Ricardo Barrientos and Aki Erenberg have found the mathematically conclusive perfect ratio of steak to soft, tasty Portuguese buns in their beef sandwiches (no actual bears on the menu here).
—Gizelle Lau, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for friend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for friend
Noun
-
Kevin and his buddy Jason Young started texting.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
This beach is also dog-friendly, so count it a great place to bring a little buddy of your own.—
Alanna Bennett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Such markets gained popularity during the 2024 presidential race as proponents touted them as being more accurate and timely than traditional polling.—
A.J. Perez,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The price of localized interventions at Thwaites, proponents say, pales in comparison with the price of building seawalls around major cities.—
Christian Elliott,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The following day there was a break in the case when Ricky Chavis, a local handyman who had befriended Terry and often took care of his sons while Terry was at work, brought Derek and Alex to the sheriff’s station.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Just keep in mind, this is a place where Patti LaBelle befriended Indiana Jones.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That the officers often swept up groups of colleagues, friends and family members was probably a matter of convenience more than anything else.—
M. Gessen,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Citi has enjoyed a 70% adoption rate of its proprietary AI tools, according to 2025 fourth-quarter findings, and colleagues across 84 countries interacted with the bank’s AI tools over 21 million times.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Yet the fact remains that their league position has slipped from fifth to 12th since away supporters last watched their team winning in the league, 2-0 at Nottingham Forest at the end of November.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Paris, Texas, Wings of Desire and Perfect Days director and long-time Berlinale supporter Wenders was announced as the president of the jury in December.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But the removal of Zhang, a longtime confidant of Xi and a combat veteran from China’s 1979 conflict with Vietnam, is being seen by some analysts as the most significant ouster yet, and one that will create a major upheaval at the top of China’s military power structure.—
Janis Mackey Frayer,
NBC news,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Winslow split the cost with his production partner, agent, creative confidant, and best friend, the contrarian Hollywood writer-producer Shane Salerno.—
Fred Schruers,
Rolling Stone,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Elsewhere, law enforcement leaders, civil rights advocates and other legal experts have decried how ICE agents and other federal officers have been flouting best practices when making street arrests, conducting crowd control and maintaining public safety amid mass protests.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.—
Nature magazine,
Scientific American,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
It’s definitively associated with the distant protocluster, with the right spectrum of X-ray energies.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Brendan Behan is often reductively associated with Dublin pub culture and literary banter.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Friend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/friend. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
