as in schisms
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 estrangements
The couple, who did not grow up knowing one another because of estrangements in their families, faced criticism from both sets of parents for the union.
—
Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
The celebrity chef’s raw and darkly humorous memoir explores her family’s demise and reconstruction — through divorce, estrangements, a brother’s sudden death and another’s suicide.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Co-written by Baumbach and Emily Mortimer, the film blends sharp humor with aching self-reflection as the pair navigates a whirlwind of public tributes, old grudges and family estrangements, forcing both men to confront the choices, compromises and identities that have defined their lives.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
The celebrity chef’s raw and darkly humorous memoir explores her family’s demise and reconstruction — through divorce, estrangements, a brother’s sudden death and another’s suicide.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Co-written by Baumbach and Emily Mortimer, the film blends sharp humor with aching self-reflection as the pair navigates a whirlwind of public tributes, old grudges and family estrangements, forcing both men to confront the choices, compromises and identities that have defined their lives.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for estrangements
Noun
-
But over the past decade or so, major schisms have emerged.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The history of religion, with its thousands of schisms and reformations, is full of pilgrims who, rather than discard their relationship with their sacred text, have found purpose, clarity, and community through defiance.—
Séamas O'Reilly,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Many movies and shows are now overlapping between both, but there are still some separations.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
29 Mar. 2026
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During the 43 day shutdown last fall, TSA experienced a 25% increase in officer separations compared to that same time the year before, TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill said during a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing in which lawmakers addressed the impacts of the shutdown.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Her appointment may deepen rifts within the Anglican Communion, whose members are deeply divided over issues such as the role of women and the treatment of LGBTQ+ people.—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
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The carbon released by tectonic rifts may have had a larger role in driving major climate transitions than that released by tectonic convergences.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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After all, a bit more than a decade later, hostilities would explode anew in the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, during which Nasser shut the canal again.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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The exception, of course, is the oil companies that get a free ride off the hostilities.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Estrangements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/estrangements. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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