1
as in contentious
given to disagreement or irritation
At the end of what was a fractious campaign, the two former rivals were surprisingly able to settle some of their differences and work together.
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2
as in wild
difficult to manage or control
Security guards were overwhelmed by the fractious crowd at the concert.
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Recent Examples of fractious
Washington — House Speaker Mike Johnson has had a bruising month, with Republicans repeatedly defying his leadership amid growing frustration over how he's led the fractious majority.
—
Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
Congressional Republicans are actually fractious at best, like a room of feral cats the rest of the time—which is why Trump passed only one major piece of legislation in his first term and Republican House speakers last as long as the average mayfly.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
But by the time Season 11 ended on a messy, emotional, fourth-wall-breaking note, the cast had become too fractious (and expensive) to retain.
—Judy Berman, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
With cultural consensuses in disrepair and taste informed by an ever evolving spate of social media and streaming platforms, mainstream music trends were almost reliably fractious.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
Congressional Republicans are actually fractious at best, like a room of feral cats the rest of the time—which is why Trump passed only one major piece of legislation in his first term and Republican House speakers last as long as the average mayfly.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
But by the time Season 11 ended on a messy, emotional, fourth-wall-breaking note, the cast had become too fractious (and expensive) to retain.
—Judy Berman, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
With cultural consensuses in disrepair and taste informed by an ever evolving spate of social media and streaming platforms, mainstream music trends were almost reliably fractious.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fractious
Adjective
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The issue of what to do with the personal belongings of those living in encampments is particularly contentious in East County.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Jan. 2026
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After their contentious Zoom call, HBO asked Martin to step back from Dragon altogether.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But every point matters for the Sabres, and these 2 were enough to put them in the second wild-card spot based on points percentage.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Those interviews can be conducted through wild-card weekend and are limited to three hours in length.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Golden Globes' new category drew backlash after controversial stars Joe Rogan, Candace Owens, Megyn Kelly, and more made the eligibility shortlist.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Jan. 2026
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These ingredients appear on the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ list of pregnancy-safe options but are slightly more controversial, so check with your ob-gyn first.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Abbas Maroufi’s The Body of Farhad (1998) takes a more defiant approach.—
Amir Ahmadi Arian,
The Dial,
15 Jan. 2026
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The Seton Hall crowd was loud and its press was defiant, but this time the Huskies escaped.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This vibe continues to be brought to you courtesy of your co-ruling planet, rebellious Uranus, moving into your fifth house of self-expression on April 25, empowering you to lean fully into your penchant for unconventionality and incorporating the element of surprise in your personal style.—
Maressa Brown,
InStyle,
9 Jan. 2026
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But very soon, that could be rebellious Venezuelan locals seeking to protect their path to democratic sovereignty and resist foreign interference.—
Anthony Dominguez,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The protests have spread to Iranian provinces as far west as Ilam, a Kurdish-majority region bordering Iraq, and Lorestan, both which have emerged as restive hotspots.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
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Protests also were reported Friday in Zahedan in Iran’s restive southwestern Sistan and Baluchestan province.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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With the willful Sun embracing passionate Mars in your 8th House of Deep Bonds, cooperation will be key.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Advertisement Cases of successful denaturalization mostly come down to if the misrepresentation was wilful, and such misrepresentation led to the person in question gaining their citizenship, or if the citizenship was procured illegally.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Importantly, the president already has full legal authority to impose tariffs when other nations’ behavior places an unreasonable burden on our economy, including through environmental negligence.—
Chip Lamarca,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
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The logic was that Spirit had projected the league would grow at a rate that the league itself found unreasonable, and so would not be able to field a team while also paying Rodman.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fractious. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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