strife

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun strife contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of strife are conflict, contention, discord, dissension, and variance. While all these words mean "a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony," strife emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved.

during his brief reign the empire was never free of civil strife

When is it sensible to use conflict instead of strife?

While the synonyms conflict and strife are close in meaning, conflict usually stresses the action of forces in opposition but in static applications implies an irreconcilability as of duties or desires.

the conflict of freedom and responsibility

In what contexts can contention take the place of strife?

The words contention and strife can be used in similar contexts, but contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy.

several points of contention about the new zoning law

When could discord be used to replace strife?

While in some cases nearly identical to strife, discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism.

a political party long racked by discord

When might dissension be a better fit than strife?

The words dissension and strife are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions.

religious dissension threatened to split the colony

When would variance be a good substitute for strife?

In some situations, the words variance and strife are roughly equivalent. However, variance implies a clash between persons or things owing to a difference in nature, opinion, or interest.

cultural variances that work against a national identity

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 strife As part of a Vanity Fair cover story earlier this year, Pascal revealed it was being cast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that got him the most strife from social media users. Zack Sharf, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025 As that interior strife becomes more evident, the beautiful mountain village gives way to rot, decay, and of course, actual monsters. Vincent Acovino, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025 Drawing on his own proprietary study of 500 years of history, the founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, points to a predictable 80-year cycle that suggests an era of significant global and internal strife is upon us. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025 The financial strife aside, the airline isn’t alone in naming Michigan a top destination for fall colors. Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strife
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strife
Noun
  • Disboard lists many public discord servers and many young coders use the site, contributing a different demographic of coders.
    Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Sep. 2025
  • But warning signs of discord between networks and affiliates had been flashing for years.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 20 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Since the 1960s, a total of 18 Metro Nashville Public Schools have closed, and some very heated football rivalries ended with those closings.
    Mike Organ, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Sep. 2025
  • But there’s no question that these tools are transforming the job experience for many tech workers amid an intense rivalry between leading AI companies to make the best one.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • Together, these Cardinal energies create friction between the desire for compromise and the raw truth surrounding a situation.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • If anything, the two games at Dodger Stadium showed the struggles of the Reds’ offense, with Blake Snell allowing only two base runners in the first six innings of his Game 1 start, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave up two runs in the first inning of Game 2 before retiring 13 straight.
    C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Mendes would later detail his struggles with maintaining his mental health while touring and cancel his Wonder world tour in 2022.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Fearing conflict or rejection will only complicate things under the Sagittarius moon.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
  • On one side of the conflict was Skeet and many of his immediate family members and longtime allies; on the other was Skeet’s own nephew, Constable Brandon Jones, who came to represent those who had run afoul of his own family.
    Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • For Democrats, the battle marked a defining moment to demonstrate unity after earlier funding fights in which they were accused of caving to Republican demands.
    Nik Popli, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
  • That was really the battle, less than the gut.
    H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The titan Chronos, patriarch to all the gods, returns to get revenge for his imprisonment at the hands of his children, taking control of Tartarus and simultaneously waging war on the mortal world via Mount Olympus.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Mature private capital markets and strategic acquirers with heavy war-chests allow companies to stay private for longer, or forever.
    Aman Ghei, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The child has an extraordinary story that takes us straight into the changes reconfiguring Indian Country as a period of warfare rolled into the twentieth century.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
  • For years, Netanyahu’s approach to warfare was characterized by brief and contained conflicts, especially in Gaza.
    Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Strife.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strife. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.

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