SINCE 1828
fraying
noun
fray·ing
| \ ˈfrā-iŋ
\
\
Definition of fraying
: something rubbed or worn off by fraying
Examples of fraying in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Secure Ends Your next step is to secure the ends, to prevent any messy fraying once the trim is in place. — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "How I Made My Boring IKEA Bookshelf Look Fancy with $20 and a Glue Gun," 13 Mar. 2019 In Turkey, the fraying relationship with the West has also tempered criticism of Beijing. — Yaroslav Trofimov, WSJ, "The Muslim World Looks On as China Persecutes Its Muslims," 21 Feb. 2019 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. 2018These 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.
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