as in discord
a lack of agreement or harmony
there was friction between the two sides of the family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Riding or slamming the brakes creates significant friction and strain on your rotors.
—
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
While that will introduce serious points of friction with Israeli designs on the country, the people in Lebanon, too, will have many questions and concerns.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 18 June 2026
Trump has had friction with Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over failing to consult them before the decision to go to war.
—ABC News, 18 June 2026
The political tensions are unfolding alongside growing economic friction.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for friction
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
While that will introduce serious points of friction with Israeli designs on the country, the people in Lebanon, too, will have many questions and concerns.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 18 June 2026
Trump has had friction with Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over failing to consult them before the decision to go to war.
—ABC News, 18 June 2026
The political tensions are unfolding alongside growing economic friction.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for friction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for friction
Noun
-
What should have been a celebratory moment involving the city’s beach ended in discord.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
6 June 2026
-
After months of stalling and discord, Boise’s Planning and Zoning Commission denied the shelter’s permit in January 2022.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
The tabloids have been extra vicious of late regarding your family strife.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
12 June 2026
-
The financial strife seemed like a death knell for one of the city’s largest redevelopment projects, an effort Stammel spent years helping to engineer.—
Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
In other words, the current combination of US political tensions and global conflicts are driving more US nationals to seek new options overseas.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
-
Notably, the Vikings haven’t been able to create this conflict.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The sport of off-roading suffers from a fundamental discordance: The desire to get out into nature and the irreparable harm inherent in the process of off-roading.—
Tim Stevens,
ArsTechnica,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
And part of it is Congress' already historically slim voting margins – margins, by the way, that won't be getting any more cushion amid the gerrymandering wars.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
Pinkas said that before the war, Iran was isolated under sanctions that choked its oil exports, dealing blows to its economy.—
Pamela Avila,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
As the country heads toward a national election, the leader once celebrated as a healer is now viewed by critics as the main driver of these schisms.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
-
Whether or not there was ever actually a schism, the rumor mill was confident and uninformed.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The discordancy is so intriguing — like learning that Katharine Graham went to nude encounter sessions at Esalen, or Alan Greenspan was once in a Lynyrd Skynyrd cover band.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
17 Nov. 2021
Noun
-
And this is all due to how AI is rapidly changing warfare.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
The history of warfare is often measured in winners, losers, troop sizes, dollars and human casualties; but collateral damage across the animal kingdom far outlasts the final shot.—
The Los Angeles Times,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Friction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/friction. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
