Strife is deep disagreement or issue. The closest synonym is something like disagreement or conflict, but strife is more then likely worse. It frequently has linked to the idea of civil unrest. The community was filled with bitter strife, which boiled over into civil war. My dysfunctional family relationships have been an ever present source of strife in my life. There was a lot of strife between the two neighboring countries.

Strife will be used in situations that depict tension, conflict, confrontation or turmoil Examples: There is much strife amongst the residents in the townships due to the rigorous lockdown. There is much strife between the Muslim and Jewish communities over the recent bombing. Civil War has ravaged Rwanda and brought tremendous strife to the indigenous tribes. The trade unions have requested a "no work policy" thus bringing economic strife to the region. Conflict, dissension, discord or disagreement are some examples of synonyms that one can use. Also other related words are instability, lawlessness and anarchy. Hope this assists. Teacher Mark

You could use "conflict" instead of strife. These are common expressions with strife: "political strife", "civil strife", "religious strife", "a cause of strife".