above the fray

idiom

: not directly involved in an angry or difficult struggle or disagreement
His political aides handled the controversy while he remained above the fray.

Examples of above the fray in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But the monarchy under King Charles is doing what monarchy does – enduring, calmly above the fray. Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025 As his opponents lobbed verbal missives across the stage at one another, Suarez stayed above the fray for pretty much the entire evening — neither being attacked nor issuing attacks himself. Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2025 The lobby doubles as a bar, the dining room ranks among London’s toughest reservations, and the suites offer a calm retreat above the fray. Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 The Kennedy Center has served as an early focal point of Trump’s attempts to assert his administration’s power over DC, drawing an institution that had traditionally remained above the fray of partisan politics directly into the center of the nation’s culture wars. Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for above the fray

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Above the fray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/above%20the%20fray. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!