friends 1 of 2

noun

plural of friend
1
as in buddies
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in supporters
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

friends

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of friend
as in associates

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Dissimilar 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 friends
Noun
Lubelo has also persuaded several friends to join the school, becoming something of an ambassador in a community where magic is often frowned upon and associated with witchcraft. — Julie Bourdin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026 The series interviews two of Perry’s closest friends — industry pal Kevin Pollak, and his sister Mia Perry Bowick, who eventually became a therapist well-versed in addiction in large part because of her big brother’s struggle. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2026 Hafley, who grew up about 20 minutes north of MetLife Stadium in Montvale, got the win in front of about 30 friends and family members. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 The Base-01 features an inflatable exo-frame holding up a weatherproof skin to serve as a transportable, fast-pitching sun shelter, mobile garage, mission control center, and roomy hostel for you and up to nine of your closest friends and allies. — New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2026 But in reality, this all suggests bad things about the Dolphins and the Jets in the macro sense, my friends. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026 This Saturday, friends, family and community members clad in different shades of light blue came together at a public vigil to honor Noel’s legacy. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2026 Over three dozen letters from friends, family and neighbors describing their generosity and kindness were submitted. — Kara Scannell, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026 The third shows Gal next to one of his closest friends from their military unit, who was also killed in combat. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for friends
  1. buddies
  2. supporters
  3. associates
  4. colleagues
  5. proponents
  6. befriends
  7. confidants
  8. advocates
Noun
  • They are being rounded up and sent for slaughter by the government that wants the land for its rich buddies and industry.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • And so the best buddies, who’ve been flirting since Season 1, are finally single at the same time.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of buddies
Noun
  • One section of bleachers directly behind the lectern and in the eye of the cameras was filled with supporters who looked young enough to be Florida Gulf Coast undergrads.
    — Christopher Spata, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2026
  • On Saturday, both are expected to take tens of thousands of supporters to the streets of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in their last effort before the runoff.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of supporters
Verb
  • Innova also associates afternoon snacking specifically with satisfaction, while other dayparts lean toward refreshment or indulgence.
    — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The Shiji associates Sun Tzu with Wu’s campaigns against its powerful rival Chu, including the campaign that culminated in the capture of the Chu capital, Ying, in 506 bce.
    — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of associates
Noun
  • In practice, that means juniors sitting in on meetings to watch colleagues interrogate the numbers, being present when real decisions get made, and gaining experience in different departments.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The letter also urges scrutiny of her staff, donors, and colleagues.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of colleagues
Noun
  • Currently not even the strongest proponents of the Many Worlds interpretation agree on how to answer these questions.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The No campaign accused measure proponents of misusing the state office.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of proponents
Verb
  • Neeson is like a friend of Meyers’s dad or the 40-year-old line cook who befriends a hostess at a Ruth’s Chris.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The whale’s gullet is flickeringly lit by a bioluminescent jellyfish that Jay sort of befriends.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of befriends
Noun
  • The New Mexico attorney general filed a lawsuit Wednesday against two of Jeffrey Epstein's closest confidants, seeking to stop them from receiving payments for serving as executors of his estate.
    — Graham Kates, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Big Alfred Williams and Charles Johnson remain close friends and confidants.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of confidants
Noun
  • In March 2026, two presidential commissions recommended that the evictions continue in order to protect wildlife, in a process that included few Maasai, Indigenous peoples’ advocates at the Oakland Institute reported.
    — David Ginsburg, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
  • That's one reason Levin, along with many other public school advocates, continues to push back against the tax credit.
    — Cory Turner, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of advocates

Phrases Containing friends

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friendship
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Cite this Entry

“Friends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/friends. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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