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

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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 Roosevelt’s patrician upbringing, as well as ties to her husband’s career, led to certain frictions between the two, with Murray consistently urging the First Lady to act on behalf of Black Americans and other oppressed peoples. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026 In a river, water slows down by the bank due to friction, and the velocity mismatches can produce vortices or eddies. — Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026 Leaders of organizations can encourage knowledge workers to develop friction-generating queries of AI models. — Monideepa Tarafdar, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026 Real productivity means better results with less friction, not simply doing more in the same amount of time. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for friction

Recent Examples of Synonyms for friction

Noun

Police have not revealed a motive for the attack, but court records exposed months of discord that appeared to be worsening.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
At a time of international discord, supporting Syria’s future has become a rare point of consensus – and the reason largely lies in geography.

— Tala Alrajjal, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of discord

Noun

After conquering a country in ruins and containing sectarian strife, Syria’s postrevolutionary government is facing its most serious crisis yet – at the pumps.

— Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Sep. 2026
The playoffs will conclude an eventful 2026 season fans at one point worried would either be abbreviated or eliminated entirely by labor strife.

— Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of strife

Noun

With the whizbang action long in the series’ rearview, this quiet road trip proves its emotional centerpiece, as Noah confesses both his true nature and his desire to be better — the conflict of his programming.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
The decision marks a dramatic reversal, after Ethiopian and Eritrean forces united in fighting the TPLF during the previous conflict.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 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

Whether the military was properly prepared for treating its wounded in the current Iran war has become a sharp point of contention.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Dima Putiata, the former Ukrainian soldier, says what started in this war has already spread to other conflicts.

— Greg Myre, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of war

Noun

The book follows this story for the critical eight years between 1527 and 1535, which led to the enduring schism that created the Church of England.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026
But schisms and heel digging are probably inevitable in such uncertain fields, Catling says.

— Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of schism

Noun

Gallium nitride, on the other hand, is suited to high-frequency applications, including communications equipment, radar and electronic warfare systems.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2026
For the first few years of the war in Ukraine, Russia’s hybrid warfare attacks in Europe remained just below the threshold that might trigger a collective response.

— Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of friction

noun

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