fraying

noun fray·ing \ ˈfrā-iŋ \

|Updated on: 24 Jul 2018

Definition of fraying

: something rubbed or worn off by fraying

Recent Examples of fraying from the Web

In Asia, the fraying of America’s nuclear umbrella could encourage China to increase its military adventurism in the South China Sea.

— mark landler, New York Times, "For Trump, Power and Values Matter Less Than Dollars and Cents," 13 June 2018
Reversing the cycle of institutional fraying, gaping inequality and mental distress seems likely to require a much broader civic rejuvenation.

— The Economist, "Does inequality cause suicide, drug abuse and mental illness?," 14 June 2018
The Chinese government would see the the suspension of drills as a prelude to the eventual withdrawal of US military forces on the Peninsula or, even better, a fraying of the alliance between Washington and Seoul, Glaser told CNN.

— ben westcott, brad lendon and matt rivers, CNN, "Ending the US-South Korea war games would be a win for Beijing," 13 June 2018
Young man!’ in a raspy working-class accent, opened his fraying backpack, took out the only thing there—a plastic container of pasta and beans—and handed it to the kid.

— anatoly kurmanaev, WSJ, "The Tragedy of Venezuela," 24 May 2018
But, says McFaul, the danger is not the numbers of nukes per se, but the fraying rules of the nuclear game.

— trudy rubin, Philly.com, "I'll be traveling to Moscow as tensions with Russia over Syria heat up | Trudy Rubin," 13 Apr. 2018
In his visits to Hartford, King acknowledged the fraying of young people’s patience at the plodding rate of progress, Close said.

— matthew ormseth, Courant Community, "Martin Luther King Jr.'s Assassination, 50 Years Later: A City Seethes, Mourns Loss As Its Own," 4 Apr. 2018
Trust is a story about the corruption of wealth and the fraying bonds of family, a world where rot and decay lie just behind the decadent frescos and shimmering gold leaf.

— anna silman, The Cut, "Brendan Fraser Is Giving the Most Delightful Performance on TV Right Now," 1 Apr. 2018
The court dispute marks the fraying of a 2012 peace accord between Deripaska and Potanin that ended years of feuding over their large holdings in Nornickel.

— franz wild, Bloomberg.com, "Abramovich Bid for Rush Sale of Nornickel Stake Delayed in Court," 27 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fraying.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.