friend 1 of 2

noun

ˈfrend How to pronounce friend (audio)
Definition of friendnext
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

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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

friend

2 of 2

verb

as in to befriend

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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
Noun
So much so, my friends and family are always asking me for recommendations. — Essence Wiley, InStyle, 26 Aug. 2026 Sending all my love to her family, friends and everyone who loved her. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
The discourse started to boil when the Duchess of Sussex declared to friend Mindy Kaling that her last name is now Sussex in season 1 of Netflix’s With Love, Meghan, which premiered in March 2025. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 7 Apr. 2026 Sending his wife Luciana and all his family and friends our condolences. — Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for friend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for friend
  1. buddy
  2. proponent
  3. befriend
  4. colleague
  5. supporter
  6. associate
  7. confidant
  8. advocate
Noun
  • Another buddy, Steven Spielberg, also supplied some intimate footage.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Mel might be a disaster with her loud mouth and impolite antics, but her over-the-top meddling does her buddies some good.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of buddy
Noun
  • Termini could not provide an explanation as to why proponents opted to revive an unrelated, inactive bill.
    — Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The roadless rule hasn’t prevented wildfire mitigation work, its proponents also say.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of proponent
Verb
  • Iger befriended Lakers’ current head coach JJ Redick when Redick played for the Clippers from 2013 to 2017.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The film memorably told the story of a young boy who befriends and tries to free a killer whale who has been captured in the wild and is living in an aquarium.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of befriend
Noun
  • Carlile shared the stage with Parton, and her colleagues in the Highwomen, at the 2019 Newport Folk Festival.
    — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
  • My colleague Bruce Feldman has been talking up the Wolfpack all offseason, due in large part to stud QB CJ Bailey and RB Duke Scott, who had 947 all-purpose yards as a freshman.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of colleague
Noun
  • The government said Khan’s supporters had begun gathering outside the private hospital in violation of the court order, which required them to stay away from the medical facility to avoid inconveniencing other patients.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Fabares was a longtime supporter of the Alzheimer’s Association, after her mother was diagnosed with the disease in the early 1990s.
    — Jack Dunn, Variety, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of supporter
Verb
  • Getting that apparently trivial behavior working involved Home Assistant, MQTT, custom software, and more Claude, Codex and ChatGPT tokens than one should reasonably associate with boiling pasta.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The team believes that the approach could reduce wasted heat and also eliminate emissions associated with burning fossil fuels in cement kilns.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of associate
Noun
  • Cohen would later act as Sun’s protector and confidant through the years of the Chinese Revolution.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Rebecca seems sinister but is also tantalizing, especially to Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie), a shy secretary who becomes Rebecca’s… confidant?
    — Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of confidant
Noun
  • Child safety advocates and some parents have welcomed age restrictions, while privacy groups say the rules can be cheated and that forcing users to supply identification raises privacy concerns.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Disability rights advocates fear the changes to special education oversight weaken the federal safety net for autistic students and others with disabilities, making these systems more confusing when families need help enforcing students' rights.
    — Claire Sibonney, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of advocate

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Cite this Entry

“Friend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/friend. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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