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Code & Deliverynoun · /mɜːrdʒ ˈkɒnflɪkt/

merge conflict

In simple English

In modern software development, teams use version control systems like Git to manage code changes. When multiple developers work on the same file simultaneously in different branches, their changes may overlap. If Developer A modifies lines 10-15 in one branch and Developer B modifies the same lines in another branch, a merge conflict happens when Git tries to combine these branches. The system marks the conflicting lines and requires a developer to manually decide which code to keep, delete, or combine. Merge conflicts are a normal part of collaborative development and become more frequent in larger teams or on complex projects. Understanding how to resolve them efficiently is a critical skill for any software engineer working in a team environment.

What is a merge conflict and how do I fix it when working with Git?

At a glanceCEFR B2
Commonness5/5
Versatility4/5
FormalityCasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticDirect
RegionUS and UK
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Say it like this

✓We hit a merge conflict on the main branch
✓I need to resolve these merge conflicts before pushing
✓There is a merge conflict between the two pull requests

Real examples

in a standup

"I spent an hour this morning resolving merge conflicts in the authentication module."

in a code review

"Before we can merge this PR, we need to address the merge conflict in the database schema file."

in a team meeting

"We are seeing more merge conflicts lately because multiple teams are working on the payment system simultaneously."

Don't say this

Handle with care. Do not use merge conflict as a verb (saying you will merge conflict something). Use resolve, fix, or handle instead. Merge conflict is always a problem that occurs, not an action you perform.

✕I will merge conflict this code tomorrow.
✓I will resolve the merge conflict tomorrow.— Merge conflict is a noun describing the problem, not a verb describing the action. You resolve, fix, or handle conflicts, not merge conflict them.
✕The merge conflict happened because the system is broken.
✓The merge conflict happened because both developers modified the same lines.— Merge conflicts are normal and expected in team development, not signs of system problems. They occur due to overlapping code changes.
✕We should avoid all merge conflicts at work.
✓We should learn to handle merge conflicts efficiently.— Merge conflicts are unavoidable in collaborative development. The goal is not to prevent them but to resolve them quickly and correctly.

Other forms

noun

merge conflict

"This pull request has three merge conflicts that need to be resolved."

noun

merge conflicts (plural)

"The developer spent two hours cleaning up merge conflicts across five files."

adjective phrase

merge conflict resolution

"Good merge conflict resolution requires understanding both versions of the code."

Often used with

resolve a merge conflictThe most common verb phrase meaning to fix or handle the conflict
encounter a merge conflictUsed when a merge conflict appears unexpectedly during development
merge conflict markersThe special symbols (<<<<<<, ======, >>>>>>) that Git uses to show conflicting code
merge conflict in [file]Used to specify which file contains the conflict
handle merge conflictsA general term meaning to deal with conflicts in any way

Similar words

conflictShorter and more general term, but less specific about the merge context
merge issueInformal alternative, less technical than merge conflict

Opposites

clean mergefast-forward mergeautomatic merge

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Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Pick the most natural phrasing

1. Your colleague asks what you are doing. What is the most natural way to respond?

Complete the sentence

2. Before we can merge this pull request, we need to _______ the merge conflicts in the authentication service.

Spot the mistake

3. Which sentence uses merge conflict incorrectly?

Rewrite naturally

4. Rewrite this sentence using merge conflict naturally: When you try to combine code changes that both changed the same lines, Git cannot figure out what to do by itself.

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "merge conflict" in a standup this week?

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