FALLING OUT Synonyms: 114 Similar and Opposite Words

falling-out 1 of 2

noun

ˌfȯ-liŋ-ˈau̇t

Definition of falling-out

as in altercation

an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions the two friends have been lonely and miserable since they had a falling-out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

falling out

2 of 2

verb

present participle of fall out

as in bickering

to express different opinions about something often angrily club members were soon falling out about how to spend the money they'd made washing cars

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in proving

to come to be I had planned to have a sports career, but things fell out otherwise

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of falling-out

Noun

Noticeably absent was his eldest son Brooklyn, who earlier this year posted on social media about having a falling-out with his family. — Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 12 June 2026 Pop is pure feeling, and U chronicles falling-outs, friendzonings, and other emotional events that are small in the grand scheme of life but still excruciating. — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 28 May 2026

Verb

For example, the Commonwealth has never delineated the exact interval of time between Patrick leaving the home and Clancy falling out the window. — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026 Last year, British TV host Piers Morgan claimed the cousins had a falling out after Eugenie was photographed outside a London pub with a group that included him. — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for falling-out

Recent Examples of Synonyms for falling-out

Noun

The Honda continues down the street and crashes into a parked car, as Good’s wife, Becca Good, who was recording the altercation, runs after it.

— Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Detectives found that Spencer was involved in an altercation with a man inside the library before the stabbing.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of altercation

Verb

Trump remains data-center booster amid bipartisan opposition The rapid expansion of data centers, which house networks and services for digital information and services, is proving to be the rare issue that cuts through party lines.

— Joey Garrison, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Under the convention the burden of proving that exclusion falls on the Fund, not the claimant, and Oman has three years to force the question in court.

— Charles Edward Gehrke, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of proving

Noun

Look, says everyone, at the movement of the heavens, look at the public, look at that man’s quarrel, at this man’s pulse, at another man’s will; in short, always look high or low, or to one side, or in front, or behind you.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026
The Department of Defense’s quarrel with Anthropic began earlier this year after the company refused to remove internal safety guardrails that would prevent the military from using its Claude AI model in autonomous weapons and mass surveillance.

— Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of quarrel

Verb

As a result, the Fed’s attention is now fixed on fighting inflation, instead of the other part of its dual mandate, namely supporting the labor market.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
For France, long accustomed to wildfires along arid stretches of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, the devastation in Le Porge has yielded rare consensus that its fire safety system is not up to fighting mega-fires brought on by climate change.

— Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of fighting

Verb

For the first time in several years, local Democrats don’t fear the backlash of coming out as a Democrat in a solidly red county, said John Barry, the chair of the Jack County Democratic Party.

— Eleanor Dearman Updated August 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
Fifth-round selection Jaden Dugger is still a raw product coming out of Louisiana, but the 6-foot-4, 240-pound linebacker is getting opportunities in practice to try his hand at a variety of spots.

— Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of coming out

Noun

The planned center for arbitrating investment and commercial disputes, for example, will sit within the Syrian Investment Authority, which is itself attached to the presidency.

— Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
Adair died in jail following a dispute with deputies, including Fatherley, who knelt on his back.

— Sofi Zeman August 31, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of dispute

Verb

The group has—so far unsuccessfully—called on both the NCAA and Big 12 to end the affiliation, arguing against universities participating in a youth-facing marketing campaign for energy drinks.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Approaching a parent with love and concern instead of arguing for their treatment can help alleviate a lot of stress.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of arguing

Browse Nearby Words

falling on one's face

falling-out

falling out

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Falling-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falling-out. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of falling-out

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

apiary

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes