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
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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
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Recent Examples of friend
Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, Cross’s partner, Detective John Sampson, played by Isaiah Mustafa, makes an unexpected connection that causes yet another falling out between the best friends.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
Gizelle Lau, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
The requirement has been inconsistently enforced in the past, based on accounts from posts on the Rocky Point/Puerto Penasco friends Facebook account.
—Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for friend
Noun
So Xezal would bring either of her toddlers, the youngest having yet to speak her first word, to sit late into the night listening to Rafiq and his friends recite the effect of circulation time on the magnitude of capital advanced.
—Verb
For a leveled-up beef bite, head on over to BEAR Steak Sandwiches, where longtime friends Ricardo Barrientos and Aki Erenberg have found the mathematically conclusive perfect ratio of steak to soft, tasty Portuguese buns in their beef sandwiches (no actual bears on the menu here).
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for friend
Noun
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And my sister was busy ushering her two oldest kids, my usual up-for-anything dive buddy nieces, off to their first year of college.—
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Kelce and Mahomes are the best of friends, and the thought of playing with his buddy and steakhouse co-owner might entice Kelce to return.—
Noun
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But proponents of the industry claim that the environmental costs still net out as a plus since the space data centers take processing off the fossil-fuel-burning grid.—
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One of the biggest proponents of the capri resurgence, the supermodel has been making a stylish case for cropped pants since last summer—and her latest iteration takes the divisive Noughties silhouette into Italian girl style territory.—
Verb
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In Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, Gomez, 33, plays Mabel, who befriends two of her neighbors — Charles (Steve Martin) and Oliver (Martin Short) — who share her obsession with true crime podcasts.—
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While posing as fictional businessman Matthew Ellis, Pine befriends Teddy and attempts to ascertain information about a shipment of weapons that Teddy hopes to send out in the coming days.—
Noun
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Politico cited congressional colleagues who did not wish to be named as saying LaMalfa suffered an aneurysm — a bulging of an arterial wall — and then a heart attack.—
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Moreno and his colleagues believe there is a small window in which to strike a deal and have proposed a longer period for open enrollment to soften the blow of premium increases.—
Noun
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Cries for regime change in Iran echoed through San Francisco on Sunday afternoon as more than a thousand Iranian-Americans and supporters gathered in front of the Ferry Building to show solidarity with protesters overseas.—
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But supporters say the expansion would address escalating instances of campus violence, including the assassination in Utah of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.—
Noun
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Rodríguez, 56, is a powerful figure and longtime confidant of Maduro, and she has been backed thus far by Venezuela's military commanders.—
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His first permanent gig came on Judging Amy (1999–2005) as the title character’s close confidant.—
Noun
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The Dearborn Heights Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE'S request for comment but Guzowski said an advocate has been assigned to the family.—
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Community leaders demand arrest of ICE agent Local leaders and advocates in Minnesota called for the ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good to be publicly identified, fired and criminally prosecuted at a news conference on Thursday.—
Verb
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This includes an examination of the kinds of brands and celebrities JOLLY looks to associate with, the best platforms to reach their audience and even the lengths of videos.—
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That means associating positive memories with new spaces.—
Cite this Entry
“Friend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/friend. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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