FRICTION Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

friction

noun

ˈfrik-shən

Definition of friction

as in discord

a lack of agreement or harmony there was friction between the two sides of the family

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 friction Smith’s presence could help prevent the friction that marred Babcock’s tenures in Toronto and Columbus. — Janson Duench, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Rather than asking whether a system is inclusive, ask why a team member feels overwhelmed, why a process creates friction, or why certain voices are consistently absent from key strategic decisions. — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 Yes, there was friction and clashes with teammates (including a verbal altercation with Wade) during that 2005-2006 title season and the year that followed. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2026 The possibility of Driscoll stepping down follows months of behind-the-scenes friction between him and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. — James Laporta, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for friction

Recent Examples of Synonyms for friction

Noun

Officials say the attacks are intended to undermine support for Ukraine, spread fear and discord in European societies and drain investigative resources.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
The disconnect between intent and impact could be sowing discord.

— Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of discord

Noun

Bernadette explains the racial nuances the Guardians might not know as newcomers to Earth, echoing the landmark 1971 Green Lantern/Green Arrow comic series, which attempts to bring the space cops down to Earth by exposing them to racial strife.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
Prosecutors believe he was killed because of ongoing strife with his former wife, Shanna Gardner, over the parenting of their twins.

— Ed White, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of strife

Noun

Meanwhile, outside the five districts that Democrats hope to switch, there are safely Democratic districts where progressive candidates are jousting with mainstream rivals, a subset of the national party’s ideological conflict.

— Dan Walters, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Add to this the conflict in the Middle East driving up gas prices, and the macroeconomic backdrop to back-to-school shopping is hardly optimal.

— Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of conflict

Noun

And so my conversation with Noah centered on the idea of a space where there would be a discordance between what the physical space looked like and what was happening emotionally in that room.

— Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026
Part of that discordance might be the fact that as a genre, rock has historically been difficult to define.

— Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 19 Nov. 2025

Definition of discordance

Noun

Alongside analysts and external observers warning that Russia’s full-scale invasion could soon enter a more dangerous phase, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to escalate the war.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Iran is expanding its defense capabilities, an Iranian army commander said Wednesday, after much of the country’s equipment was degraded by US-Israeli strikes in the early days of the war.

— Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of war

Noun

Yet, a deep ideological schism remains over what victory for the Islamic Republic should look like.

— Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
This turns into a big argument about Issa being a weird little guy, and suddenly there are multiple potential roommate schisms in the house.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of schism

Noun

The legal challenge intensified an unusually public dispute over how AI can be used in warfare and mass surveillance.

— Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
Rather than designing an entirely new robotic counter-drone vehicle, the companies combined an existing robotic platform with an existing sensing and electronic warfare capability.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of warfare

Browse Nearby Words

fricassees

friction

frictionless

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“Friction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/friction. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of friction

noun

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