fringe

1 of 2

noun

ˈfrinj

often attributive

Synonyms of fringe next

: an ornamental border consisting of short straight or twisted threads or strips hanging from cut or raveled edges or from a separate band

a lampshade with a fringe

: something resembling a fringe : edge, periphery

—often used in plural

operated on the fringes of the lawworking for years on the fringes of the entertainment industry

chiefly British : bang entry 4

wears her hair in a fringe

: one of various light or dark bands produced by the interference or diffraction of light

: an area bordering a putting green on a golf course with grass trimmed longer than on the green itself

: something that is marginal, additional, or secondary to some activity, process, or subject

a fringe sport

: a group with marginal or extremist views

the politically conservative fringe

: fringe benefit

fringy

ˈfrin-jē

adjective

fringe

2 of 2

verb

fringed; fringing ˈfrin-jiŋ

transitive verb

: to furnish or adorn with a fringe

: to serve as a fringe for : border

Example Sentences

Noun a lampshade with a fringe a fringe of moss around the tree a party on the political fringe Verb A jungle fringed the shore. the orchestral pit fringed the edge of the stage

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The board agreed to pay Ison an annual salary of $160,000 plus fringe benefits, contributions to his retirement fund and a life insurance policy. —

Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 8 Dec. 2022 Total compensation including airplane use and additional fringe benefits adds up to a yearly compensation package with a value of approximately $6.2 million per year. —

Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 30 Aug. 2022 But the true target was more likely her father, ultranationalist philosopher Alexander Dugin, a fringe figure on Russia’s political right and a sometime critic of President Vladimir Putin. —

Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Aug. 2022 Prosecutors alleged that the company gave untaxed fringe benefits to senior executives, including Weisselberg, for 15 years. —

Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2022 Prosecutors alleged that the company gave untaxed fringe benefits to senior executives, including Weisselberg, for 15 years. —

Michael R. Sisak, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Aug. 2022 Prosecutors alleged that the company gave untaxed fringe benefits to senior executives, including Weisselberg, for 15 years. —

Michael R. Sisak, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Aug. 2022 His opponent is the far right Marine Le Pen, who was once a fringe figure but now has a legitimate shot at winning the presidency. —

NBC News, 24 Apr. 2022 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who returned to office in the latest election, forged a coalition with right-wing and religiously conservative parties, including that of Mr. Ben-Gvir, once a fringe figure in Israeli politics. —

Shayndi Raice, WSJ, 11 Jan. 2023

Verb

But on Facebook and Twitter, bigots could suddenly coordinate hatred and abuse at scale, that previously would be confined to fringe blogs with little traction. —

Jacob Mchangama, Time, 5 Dec. 2022 But that’s no longer the case, at least at the high-profile corner where Third meets Evans Avenue — and young trees now fringe a statuesque glassy civic building that opens on October 22 amid an expansive landscape of lush native plants and shrubs. —

John King, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 Oct. 2022 Models flitted about the room in Markarian’s new Spring bridal collection with Gatsby-worthy sequins, fringe, and more. —

Vogue, 11 Nov. 2022 For the most decorative effect, choose fabrics with eye-catching colors and designs, and have fun with trims, tassels, fringe, or bold banding to give your treatments a finished look. —

Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Nov. 2022 This Charter Amendment would amend the Frederick County Charter to permit County Council Members to receive allowances and fringe benefits in addition to a salary. —

Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 28 Sep. 2022 Thousands of posts containing conspiracy theories about the attack were shared on message boards, social media and in comments sections of popular far-right sites, according to data from Pyrra, a company that tracks fringe social media. —

Stuart A. Thompson, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2022 By the time platforms acted, Jones had already built Infowars into an alternative media powerhouse, and his army of adherents was prepared to follow him to fringe social media platforms. —

WIRED, 14 Oct. 2022 Even the January 6 hearings revolve around a motley crew of partisan hacks and fringe legal figures. —

Matt Ford, The New Republic, 20 Sep. 2022 See More

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