: a usually disorderly or protracted fight, struggle, or dispute
Fighting there could easily draw neighboring nations into the fray.—
Blaine Harden
Blaine Harden… the patrician statesman who stood above the fray.—Richard D. Hylton
Richard D. Hylton
frayed; fraying; frays
1
a
: to wear (something, such as an edge of cloth) by or as if by rubbing : fret
b
: to separate the threads at the edge of
: a raveled place or worn spot (as on fabric)
Synonyms
Examples of fray in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebTribune News Service, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
The overwhelming interest in Simpson’s criminal trial, whose main characters became household names—Lance Ito, Marcia Clark, Johnnie Cochran, Kato Kaelin, Mark Fuhrman—offered a market opportunity for 24-7 news outlets to jump into the fray.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
But a host of small and even obscure startup parties have also joined the fray.
—Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Together, the initiatives amount to a new level of activism for a church that has largely stayed outside the political fray.
—Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
The Street Fight turned into a mugging as Legado del Fantasma joined in on the fray.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Hospitals have been vandalized, and warehouses and containers storing food and essential supplies across the city have been broken into in recent weeks as the social fabric frays.
—Hira Humayun, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
The 1984 race piqued his interest, because another Republican senator from Wyoming, Alan K. Simpson, was part of the maneuvering — and because so many top Republicans jumped into the fray.
—Carl Hulse, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
The Fifth Harmony alum steps out and dances while blindfolded before welcoming Playboi Carti into the fray.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2024
Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 15 Apr. 2024
The once-reliable safety net of company loyalty began to fray, leaving GenXers rightfully skeptical about their financial futures and less invested in the idea of company loyalty.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 8 Apr. 2024
Some fear fraying relationships may have a greater cost.
—Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
The bristles of the scrubber were durable, never fraying or bending during testing.
—Nicole Pyles, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Mar. 2024
The stress of trying to make ends meet in these conditions is fraying the social fabric.
—Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024
Sewn rim tape material at the top of the envelope was frayed and several of its panels were damaged.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
Sewn rim tape material at the top of the envelope was frayed and several panels were damaged.
—Sasha Hupka, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
Keller was fine with staying home, but isolation further frayed Fox’s nerves.
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2024
Noun
The steep cost of taking on the oil industry has kept some states from joining the fray.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
The overwhelming interest in Simpson’s criminal trial, whose main characters became household names—Lance Ito, Marcia Clark, Johnnie Cochran, Kato Kaelin, Mark Fuhrman—offered a market opportunity for 24-7 news outlets to jump into the fray.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
But a host of small and even obscure startup parties have also joined the fray.
—Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Together, the initiatives amount to a new level of activism for a church that has largely stayed outside the political fray.
—Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
The Street Fight turned into a mugging as Legado del Fantasma joined in on the fray.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Hospitals have been vandalized, and warehouses and containers storing food and essential supplies across the city have been broken into in recent weeks as the social fabric frays.
—Hira Humayun, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
The 1984 race piqued his interest, because another Republican senator from Wyoming, Alan K. Simpson, was part of the maneuvering — and because so many top Republicans jumped into the fray.
—Carl Hulse, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
The Fifth Harmony alum steps out and dances while blindfolded before welcoming Playboi Carti into the fray.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2024
Verb
The charging network today is plagued by buggy software, frayed cables, confusing payment systems, and is often prone to extreme cold or heat.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 15 Apr. 2024
The once-reliable safety net of company loyalty began to fray, leaving GenXers rightfully skeptical about their financial futures and less invested in the idea of company loyalty.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 8 Apr. 2024
Some fear fraying relationships may have a greater cost.
—Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
The bristles of the scrubber were durable, never fraying or bending during testing.
—Nicole Pyles, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Mar. 2024
The stress of trying to make ends meet in these conditions is fraying the social fabric.
—Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024
Sewn rim tape material at the top of the envelope was frayed and several of its panels were damaged.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
Sewn rim tape material at the top of the envelope was frayed and several panels were damaged.
—Sasha Hupka, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
Keller was fine with staying home, but isolation further frayed Fox’s nerves.
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fray.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near fray
Cite this Entry
“Fray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fray. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fray
1 of 2 noun
: an usually disorderly or long fight, struggle, or dispute
fray
2 of 2 verb1
a
: to wear (as an edge of cloth) by or as if by rubbing
b
: to separate the threads at the edge of
cutoff jeans with frayed edges
2
: to show or cause to show signs of strain
nerves were beginning to fray
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