1
as in buddies
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in supporters
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of friends
Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026
At the time, Shehorn’s friends speculated that she had been stabbed more than 20 times.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
When there was enough food to go around, my mother's mother would feed not only her kids but their friends.
—Esther Ndumi Ngumbi, NPR, 10 May 2026
Their legs trembled beneath them, their hands and heads shook with anxiety, and at times Snow, in tears, curled into the arms of friends and loved ones.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Is this a cookout with a bunch of friends from college?
—Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 10 May 2026
That Wednesday, Mira went to Polly Ann with her friends Kaitlyn and Sloane.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Noun
Use our new checklist feature on each entry to keep track of your favorites and share with friends.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026
At the time, Shehorn’s friends speculated that she had been stabbed more than 20 times.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
When there was enough food to go around, my mother's mother would feed not only her kids but their friends.
—Esther Ndumi Ngumbi, NPR, 10 May 2026
Their legs trembled beneath them, their hands and heads shook with anxiety, and at times Snow, in tears, curled into the arms of friends and loved ones.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Is this a cookout with a bunch of friends from college?
—Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 10 May 2026
That Wednesday, Mira went to Polly Ann with her friends Kaitlyn and Sloane.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for friends
Noun
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Saturday Night Live guest host Matt Damon reprised his role as Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh, who reveals to drinking buddies Pete Hegseth and Kash Patel what Donald Trump‘s political future will look like.—
William Vaillancourt,
Rolling Stone,
10 May 2026
-
The president and his billionaire buddies who barely noticed the price increases don’t need a refund check.—
Linda Sánchez,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
Noun
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Newsom and other supporters have said the tunnel would protect the state’s water system as climate change intensifies severe droughts and deluges.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
And supporters are left to fill the silence with speculation, chants and, now, airborne protest banners.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
In practical terms, that means Forest now associates humans with food and safety, the opposite of what a wild deer needs to survive.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Greene’s heart-to-heart media tour has been jarring liberals and anyone else who associates her with conspiratorial beliefs and outrageous comments.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
21 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The combination of the shutdown, colleagues’ retirements, and policy changes had left her depleted and often physically sick.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
Europe’s jet fuel supplies are even lower, according to analyst Yulia Zhestkova Grigsby and her colleagues.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Its proponents believe nuclear power could address a wide range of problems.—
Krisztian Elcsics,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
-
The entrenchment of those supply chains may have been underestimated by proponents of nearshoring and onshoring, while the impacts of higher tariffs may have been overestimated.—
Kate Nishimura,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Marie befriends the women in the community, gaining their trust, only to find out that another man, Samuel Bateman, is claiming to be a prophet.—
Maira Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
Odessa A’zion voices Nikki Baxter, a new kid who befriends our core group of Hawkins kids.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Both Pramaggiore, a onetime rising star in Chicago’s corporate world, and McClain, who was a top lobbyist for the utility and one of Madigan’s closest confidants, were sentenced to two years behind bars and had been scheduled for release in August 2027.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Hurley tempered his act this season, after his wife, Andrea, and confidants Billy Donovan, Geno Auriemma and Seth Greenberg jumped him last year.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The meeting space inside Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta was packed with immigration advocates, members of Taylor's family and cameras as Taylor made his first public statement since his release.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
Opposition to this bill is not limited to homeschool advocates.—
James R Mason,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Friends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/friends. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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