fray

1 of 4

noun (1)

: a usually disorderly or protracted fight, struggle, or dispute
Fighting there could easily draw neighboring nations into the fray.Blaine Harden
… the patrician statesman who stood above the fray.Richard D. Hylton

fray

2 of 4

verb (1)

frayed; fraying; frays

transitive verb

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
2
: strain, irritate
… a botched new bus system … which has frayed tempers.The Economist

intransitive verb

1
: to wear out or into shreds
2
: to show signs of strain
fraying nerves

fray

3 of 4

noun (2)

: a raveled place or worn spot (as on fabric)

fray

4 of 4

verb (2)

frayed; fraying; frays

transitive verb

archaic
: scare
also : to frighten away

Examples of fray in a Sentence

Noun (1) another generation of scientists entered the fray to find a cure for AIDS a troubled youth always getting into frays at school school officials broke up the fray and gave all guilty parties detention Verb (1) constant rubbing against the rock face has badly frayed our climbing rope
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.
Noun
Podcasters and creators, as everyone knows by now, have emerged as a driving force in today’s political climate, and the classification by Treasury could push more people to consider joining the fray or ramping up their content, as long as it is tipped, of course. Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025 Last year, League of Legends publisher Riot Games entered the fray with limited test runs of 2XKO, a free-to-play 2v2 tag-team brawler that’s been undergoing updates based on audience feedback. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
Advertisement Sports fandom has a special power to connect people, especially at a time when so many of our traditional civic bonds are fraying. Todd Rogers, Time, 4 Sep. 2025 About eight or nine hours into a punishing shoot, nerves were fraying, and Mike McGuirk was getting chewed out by a camera operator. Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fray

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English fraien, from Anglo-French freier, froier to rub, from Latin fricare — more at friction

Verb (2) and Noun (1)

Middle English fraien, short for affraien to affray

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

1630, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fray was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fray. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

fray

1 of 2 noun
: an usually disorderly or long fight, struggle, or dispute

fray

2 of 2 verb
1
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
Etymology

Noun

from earlier fray "fright," from affray "quarrel, fight," derived from early French affreer "to attack, disturb, frighten" — related to afraid

Verb

Middle English fraien "to fray," from early French freier, froier "to rub," from Latin fricare "to rub" — related to friction

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