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conflict

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verb

as in to clash
to be out of harmony or agreement usually noticeably his statement conflicts with the facts, as given in the police report

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun conflict contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of conflict are contention, discord, dissension, strife, and variance. While all these words mean "a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony," 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 conflict?

The words contention and conflict are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy.

several points of contention about the new zoning law

When might discord be a better fit than conflict?

Although the words discord and conflict have much in common, discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism.

a political party long racked by discord

When can dissension be used instead of conflict?

The synonyms dissension and conflict are sometimes interchangeable, but dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions.

religious dissension threatened to split the colony

Where would strife be a reasonable alternative to conflict?

In some situations, the words strife and conflict are roughly equivalent. However, 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 could variance be used to replace conflict?

While in some cases nearly identical to conflict, 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 conflict
Noun
Historically, the species roamed throughout much of the Southwest through central Mexico before being nearly eradicated from the wild by the 1970s, largely due to conflicts with the livestock industry. Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025 The most recent conflict has had huge political ramifications in Thailand. Helen Regan, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
Verb
Rare archival footage, home movies and candid interviews paint a fuller, more complicated picture of the Piano Man — brilliant, driven, combative, sometimes conflicted and ultimately enduring. Michele Amabile Angermiller, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2025 But some may feel that such policies may conflict with employees' religious beliefs, resulting in disciplinary action or job loss. Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for conflict
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conflict
Noun
  • In seeking reelection in 2022, Evers said the pandemic measures that divided the state were worth the strife.
    Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
  • Later, Hjorth’s sister published her own novelization of their family strife.
    The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 23 July 2025
Noun
  • Which is why policy analysts are scratching their heads about what exactly lies behind the escalating border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 July 2025
  • The Thai Health Ministry said 15 civilians and one soldier had been killed and 46 civilians and 15 soldiers wounded in the clashes since Thursday.
    Shane Croucher John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • These meetings initially took place virtually and then in person across different capitals, seeking a cessation of hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors.
    Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025
  • But Putin had other ideas, tying a halt in hostilities to the West readmitting certain Russian banks into the West’s financial network.
    Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged Amazon didn't consider the Falcon 9 due to an intense and personal rivalry between Bezos and SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
    Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 18 July 2025
  • However, the trade rivalry between the U.S. and China has been weighing heavily on the industry.
    Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • Five people died after three vehicles collided on state Route 67 in Poway, sparking a half-acre brush fire Friday afternoon, sheriff’s officials said.
    Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2025
  • Astronomers speculate that some of the disk might be the remains of a pair of Pluto-sized dwarf planets that collided sometime in the last million years.
    Kiona N. Smith, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Noun
  • For more than six decades, the treaty survived the subcontinental wars and discord but has come under significant strain after India suspended its participation in the treaty after the April terrorist attack in Kashmir.
    Sam Dalrymple, Time, 14 July 2025
  • This should involve respectful discord, finding a shared vision and moving forward with trust.
    James Barlow, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • The skirmish left the mother of Jones' child with a black eye.
    Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 18 July 2025
  • The skirmish has thrust into the public eye a falling-out between two political heavyweights once seen as close allies.
    Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 16 July 2025
Noun
  • The cumulative effect of crises on top of crises — from war, to daily explosions suspected to be sabotage, to skyrocketing inflation, to water and power cuts — has many Iranians reeling.
    Leily Nikounazar Arash Khamooshi, New York Times, 26 July 2025
  • The team behind 20 Days In Mariupol documents the toll of the Russia-Ukraine war from a personal and devastating vantage point.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 25 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Conflict.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflict. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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