1
as in battle
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective
another generation of scientists entered the fray to find a cure for AIDS
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2
as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
a troubled youth always getting into frays at school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in brawl
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
school officials broke up the fray and gave all guilty parties detention
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as in to erode
to damage or diminish by continued friction
constant rubbing against the rock face has badly frayed our climbing rope
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fray
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 29 July 2025
The Invincible War and bringing fan-favorite villain Conquest (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) into the fray.
—EW.com, 17 July 2025
Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2025
Pakistan is grappling with economic volatility, regional instability, and fraying alliances.
—Jack Rosen, New York Daily News, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fray
Noun
Teammates jumped into the fray to helped quell the discord.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 29 July 2025
The Invincible War and bringing fan-favorite villain Conquest (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) into the fray.
—EW.com, 17 July 2025
Verb
Or the woven wool area rug in your perfect blue is frayed in one spot.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2025
Pakistan is grappling with economic volatility, regional instability, and fraying alliances.
—Jack Rosen, New York Daily News, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fray
Noun
-
Europe is on track for its worst wildfire season on record as swaths of the continent — including France, Spain, Albania, Portugal and Greece — battle raging, deadly fires as temperature soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
12 Aug. 2025
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The Defense Department has awarded BAE Systems’ shipyard in San Diego a $64.1 million contract for repairs, maintenance and upgrades on the USS O’Kane, a Burke-class destroyer that helped protect the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier battle group during a long deployment that ended in February.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The only skirmish Wednesday was sparked by some trash-talking between Chuba Hubbard and Jenkins — yes, same Jenkins — and peaked when Jenkins threw a football at Hubbard’s helmet.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Aug. 2025
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Attorney: Separate skirmishes, no 'racist mob' Fox told The Enquirer that national and local voices have mischaracterized what actually happened.—
Kevin Grasha,
The Enquirer,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The votes follow a recent street brawl that sparked concerns about crime in the city.—
Scott Wartman,
The Enquirer,
7 Aug. 2025
-
One of the victims of a viral brawl that happened in Cincinnati July 26 says she's been forced into hiding after the incident that left her severely injured.—
Adam Sabes , Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In fact, even as Iran and its premier proxy, Hezbollah, were being eroded through much of 2024, the Saudis appointed their first ambassador to Damascus in 12 years—capping a year-long diplomatic process that included former President Bashar al-Assad’s visit to Riyadh in May 2023.—
Kamran Bokhari,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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It’s been a brutal year for journalism, with mass layoffs, corporate capitulation, and distrust of traditional media eroding the industry.—
Shauna Lyon,
New Yorker,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Neal has been inconsistent and has had some health struggles.—
Brett Appley,
New York Times,
16 Aug. 2025
-
And the other thing is just this constant reminder of the struggle of entrepreneurs out there.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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However, those same clashes can be transformed into deeper connections with a little effort and understanding.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
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When it has been used, the stealth fighter has generally remained far away from frontline clashes, intelligence reports from the British government indicated in early 2023.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Here is a closer look at what the Jayhawks will be wearing in that game.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Gastineau and Favre were surrounded by multiple onlookers and Gastineau wore a microphone provided by the film crew.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Redistricting in Texas, the center of the fight, is far from over.—
The NPR Network,
NPR,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Instead, dozens of weekly fight nights and four big events a year will be freely available to all Paramount Plus subscribers.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fray. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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