as in alienation
the loss of friendship or affection
a silly quarrel that eventually resulted in a complete and lasting estrangement between the onetime friends
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Recent Examples of estrangement
The novel’s efforts at cognitive estrangement begin with home and family life.
—
Stephanie Burt, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
But the old friends buried the hatchet after a decade of estrangement a couple of years ago, and sat down for lunch together at the Pierre hotel in New York City.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 30 Mar. 2026
After a period of estrangement preceded by a legal spat, Salt-N-Pepa have made peace with Spinderella, who will be part of the tour.
—Andy Greene, VIBE.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Through no fault of Newton’s, Faith functions less as a second protagonist than a prop to give Grace more emotional investment in the proceedings by saddling her with guilt over their estrangement or opportunities to nobly sacrifice herself.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 Mar. 2026
Waking up in the hospital, Grace is reunited with her younger sister Faith (Kathryn Newton), who is still her emergency contact despite years of estrangement.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
The day after announcing her new song, Brooke opened up about her estrangement from her father in the years leading up to his death in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
Stellan Skarsgård plays an aging filmmaker whose selfish past led to an estrangement from his daughters and who wants to make a movie inspired by their mom.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
Your children's grandparents could be out of the picture due to estrangement, distance, or death.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 7 Mar. 2026
Stephanie Burt, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
But the old friends buried the hatchet after a decade of estrangement a couple of years ago, and sat down for lunch together at the Pierre hotel in New York City.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 30 Mar. 2026
After a period of estrangement preceded by a legal spat, Salt-N-Pepa have made peace with Spinderella, who will be part of the tour.
—Andy Greene, VIBE.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Through no fault of Newton’s, Faith functions less as a second protagonist than a prop to give Grace more emotional investment in the proceedings by saddling her with guilt over their estrangement or opportunities to nobly sacrifice herself.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 Mar. 2026
Waking up in the hospital, Grace is reunited with her younger sister Faith (Kathryn Newton), who is still her emergency contact despite years of estrangement.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
The day after announcing her new song, Brooke opened up about her estrangement from her father in the years leading up to his death in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
Stellan Skarsgård plays an aging filmmaker whose selfish past led to an estrangement from his daughters and who wants to make a movie inspired by their mom.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
Your children's grandparents could be out of the picture due to estrangement, distance, or death.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for estrangement
Noun
-
The result thus far has been the intensification of American military pressure and the permanent alienation of Iran’s neighbors, some of whom will support or even join the war against it.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2026
-
An illegible city produces anxiety, alienation and disorientation.—
Yunus Emre Tozal,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Courts may award a dependency claim in a divorce agreement, but the IRS will still require Form 8332 for post-2008 divorces, making federal tax rules stricter than many family court orders.—
Jenni Fink,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
And questions, of course, intensified after the divorce was finalized in January.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But over the past decade or so, major schisms have emerged.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In the 2020s members of GAFCON and GSFA moved toward what some have seen as a schism with the Church of England and the more liberal provinces of the Anglican Communion.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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On her new single—a piano ballad of dubious sincerity—Canadian DJ and songwriter Brat Star invokes Paltrow’s greatest role as one-third of a holy trinity of disaffection.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
2 Mar. 2026
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Ultimately, many of these books’ characters are portrayed as avatars of resentment and disaffection, men who seem to fall prey to the rigid vision of masculinity dispensed by real-life adherents to the manosphere.—
Eric Magnuson,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The redshirt junior registered 13 tackles over just four games, which included three tackles for loss, a sack and two pass breakups.—
Matt Murschel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Smith was a rotational linebacker last year, ending the season with 31 tackles, two fumble recoveries and two pass breakups.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Emma’s kind, matriarchal presence — which has been a constant in the show since season one — is lacking in the first half of this season, underscoring the impact of her separation from Joe.—
Lisa de los Reyes,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The National Transportation Safety Board blamed systemic FAA failures and found the crash was preventable, with concerns including overreliance on visual separation and longstanding risks in the airspace around Reagan National.—
Eric Mack,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But Mallach did not disagree that the event had usefully exposed a rift in the community.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The split reflects a broader rift within conservative media.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Estrangement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/estrangement. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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