1
as in buddy
a person who has a strong liking for and trust in another
really close friends who like to do everything together and are always sharing secrets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in proponent
a person who actively supports or favors a cause
hopes that the new governor will be a friend to environmental causes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to befriend
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of friend
Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
And just hang out with your friends and don’t be afraid of people, because the idea of being perceived all the time is really scary.
—Charlie Harding, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 16 Feb. 2026
What’s the difference, for you, between doing that with Black women friends your own age, versus someone who’s old enough to be a mother?
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for friend
Noun
Limon and Bristy, 27, were both from Bangladesh and had come to Tampa in 2024 and 2025, respectively, to attend the school and further their studies, their friends said.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
And just hang out with your friends and don’t be afraid of people, because the idea of being perceived all the time is really scary.
—Charlie Harding, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
Sending his wife Luciana and all his family and friends our condolences.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 16 Feb. 2026
What’s the difference, for you, between doing that with Black women friends your own age, versus someone who’s old enough to be a mother?
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for friend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for friend
Noun
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What will that mean for a couple of buddies whose relationship might be more complex than either of them is ready to admit?—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
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Well, buddy, take a seat and settle in for some A+ virtue-signaling!—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
Noun
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Many proponents expressed frustration with the school board and administration as multiyear efforts to bring Arabic language instruction to District 230 appeared to stall, culminating with the recent resignation of the only Arab American member of the school board.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
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These excess profit taxes are not always as efficacious as proponents hope for.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Marie befriends the women in the community, gaining their trust, only to find out that another man, Samuel Bateman, is claiming to be a prophet.—
Maira Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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There was evidence that the two men, who’d befriended Brettler weeks earlier, had assaulted him shortly before his death – though neither was charged by police, who concluded that the death was probably suicide.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Friends Remember Ernie Dosio as a Charitable Man Friends and colleagues have emphasized Dosio’s generosity and character, describing him as someone who gave back quietly and consistently.—
Ryan Brennan
April 28,
Kansas City Star,
28 Apr. 2026
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Clooney’s other famous friends and colleagues, including Matt Damon and Richard Kind, sent video messages to celebrate the actor’s career longevity.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The clip, shared on X, appears to show Zahra Billoo, executive director of the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations CAIR-CA, discussing how supporters should approach expressing controversial sentiments in public versus private settings.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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Liverpool have revised plans to increase ticket prices following protests and lengthy discussions with the club’s supporters’ board.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Noun
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Gray served in a variety of consequential positions over the years and wielded influence deftly to the benefit of the community, said Dick Batchelor, who represented Central Florida in the Legislature from 1974 to 1982 and regarded Gray as a sage confidant.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
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Training my virtual robot to become my confidant was fairly simple.—
David McGrath,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Through her journey, Brown became an advocate and inspiration for others facing similar health issues and founded MedGift, a support registry for those suffering from any illness.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
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Many researchers, clinicians and patient advocates soon rushed to RP1’s defense, claiming that the FDA had made a mistake in its rejection.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
2 May 2026
Verb
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This movement, known as critical legal studies, was associated with the political left, and its exponents, known as crits, loved to disparage liberal theorists’ devotion to the Constitution as naïve and counterproductive.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Rather than steering young people exclusively toward high-paying technical fields like computer science, a growing number are emphasizing the long-term value of skills often associated with a humanities or liberal arts education.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Friend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/friend. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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