as in discord
a lack of agreement or harmony
there was friction between the two sides of the family
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Recent Examples of friction
Its ability to create a protective layer on the skin helps prevent friction and soothe irritated skin in conditions like eczema, minor burns, diaper rashes, and hemorrhoids.
—
Carley Millhone, Health, 5 June 2025
In its statement, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the U.S. of unilaterally provoking new economic and trade frictions.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 3 June 2025
Trade frictions between Washington and Beijing have flared up after a hiatus following a meeting between U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his Chinese counterpart He Lifeng in Geneva, Switzerland, that had led them to suspend most tariffs for 90 days.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 2 June 2025
Skin tags in the genital area are common, harmless growths that can become irritated by friction from skin or clothing.
—Susan Bard, Verywell Health, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for friction
Carley Millhone, Health, 5 June 2025
In its statement, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the U.S. of unilaterally provoking new economic and trade frictions.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 3 June 2025
Trade frictions between Washington and Beijing have flared up after a hiatus following a meeting between U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his Chinese counterpart He Lifeng in Geneva, Switzerland, that had led them to suspend most tariffs for 90 days.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 2 June 2025
Skin tags in the genital area are common, harmless growths that can become irritated by friction from skin or clothing.
—Susan Bard, Verywell Health, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for friction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for friction
Noun
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Many more are disturbed by the politicization of churches and turned off by dogmas that promote hate and discord, finding religious teachings and traditions to be outdated and incompatible with their values.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
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Indeed, such strife and discord have been the rule, not the exception.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Even at centers where funds appear to have led to considerable research output, internal strife calls into question the validity of their work.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
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Arvind and Fashion for Good are holding onto the hope that despite the economic tumult caused by geopolitical strife and exacerbated by President Donald Trump’s whipsawing tariffs, brands remain committed to their climate targets despite the high investment costs and the less tangible payback.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
Bloody conflicts continued to occur throughout the 20th century.—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
7 June 2025
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Killer of Killers follows three warriors from different periods in history set against different Predator variants, using the tools of their time to take them on before a larger-scale conflict that will merge all the stories.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
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Luckily, director Kate Dumoulin helps smooth over much of the discordance.—
Matthew J. Palm,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 June 2025
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Editors’ Picks An editor at Fast Company, a magazine about business, technology and design, was among the first to notice the discordance.—
Adeel Hassan,
New York Times,
4 May 2025
Noun
-
The hotel, owned by his father in its heyday, has acutely felt Lebanon’s ups and downs over the decades, closing and reopening multiple times because of wars.—
Kareem Chehayeb,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
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Federal and state law enforcement agencies and the Department of Homeland Security have repeatedly issued bulletins, warning the country is vulnerable to terrorism, especially at large events, as a result of the Gaza war.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
8 June 2025
Noun
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This is not the first time that there has been a schism among students at Hillel.—
Anemona Hartocollis,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2025
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The schism had an immediate effect on the Ukrainian army’s U.S.-made High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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An increase in the drone supply—in addition to their effectiveness in combat operations—is reflective of a strategic adaptation by NATO to new forms of warfare that increasingly rely on unmanned systems.—
Shane Croucher
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
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The immediate incentive for our nation to enter that war was the declaration by Germany of unrestricted submarine warfare.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2025
Noun
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The basic plot mirrors Kon Ichikawa’s brutal antiwar classic Fires on the Plain, in which Japanese soldiers are left to starve on the Philippines island of Leyte during the waning days of World War II, and Anderson is serious about political oppression and the power of dissent.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
7 June 2025
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In her dissent Friday in the Naples case, Abudu pointed to the appeals court ruling in the Hamburger Mary’s case.—
Jim Saunders,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Friction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/friction. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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