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
In a May 2022 op-ed in the New York Times, Felix laid down the gauntlet with Nike, exposing the fractious negotiations over an extension of her endorsement contract with the company.
—
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 5 June 2025
Iran’s fractious social fabric Iran has a diverse population, including Persians, Azeris, Arabs, Baloch and Kurds.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
What’s more, the Senate used to be a more dignified, less partisan place — especially when compared with the fractious House.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
Generally speaking, Reichardt’s social commentary is only surface-scratching, the fractious Civil Rights dynamics and wartime unrest relegated to those TV news briefs, the protest posters papered on walls throughout town.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 5 June 2025
Iran’s fractious social fabric Iran has a diverse population, including Persians, Azeris, Arabs, Baloch and Kurds.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
What’s more, the Senate used to be a more dignified, less partisan place — especially when compared with the fractious House.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
Generally speaking, Reichardt’s social commentary is only surface-scratching, the fractious Civil Rights dynamics and wartime unrest relegated to those TV news briefs, the protest posters papered on walls throughout town.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fractious
Adjective
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One of the more contentious aspects of passing the bill was what to do with the cap on state and local tax deductions, or the SALT cap.—
Alicia Adamczyk,
Fortune,
4 July 2025
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Hearing From The Other Side Like most important aspects of life, there are two sides to this contentious coin.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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Fortune Feimster partnered with Johnsonville, the popular sausage brand, for a wild Fourth of July bash at Summerfest in Milwaukee.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
8 July 2025
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Best Nordstrom Anniversary Sale accessory deals Some pretty wild things are going on over in the accessories department, where high-summer necessities like city bags and sleek sunglasses are up to 45% off.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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Delegates avoided any controversial subjects that might trigger Washington’s ire, analysts said.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
6 July 2025
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The timing coincides with Iran's controversial suspension of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and reports of major internet disruptions across the country, suggesting ongoing tensions and potential preparations for future diplomatic or military developments.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 July 2025
Adjective
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Pride celebrations are typically a daylong mix of jubilant street parties and political protest, but this year’s iterations took a more defiant stance as Republicans, led by President Trump, have sought to roll back LGBTQ+ rights.—
Philip Marcelo,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
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Mamdani’s outspoken support for Palestinian causes was a point of tension in the mayor’s race as Cuomo and other opponents sought to label his defiant criticism of Israel as antisemitic.—
Philip Marcelo,
Fortune,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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From director James DeMonaco, creator of The Purge franchise, actor-comedian Davidson plays Max in The Home, a rebellious twenty-something sentenced to community service at a quiet retirement home.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
10 July 2025
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The story follows rebellious young demigod Ne Zha, who wrestles with his powers and the threat of humanity’s destruction.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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Soon thereafter, Russia wrested control of two restive regions of Georgia, effectively preventing the country’s accession to NATO.—
Charles Kupchan,
Foreign Affairs,
20 June 2025
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On top of that, Iran has its own restive population of some 20 million ethnic Azeris—making up perhaps as much as a quarter of the Iranian population.—
Zaur Shiriyev,
Foreign Affairs,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Court records show Rahman pleaded guilty Jan. 17 to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified national defense information.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
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Alsup ordered a trial in December to determine damages, which can reach up to $150,000 per case of willful copyright infringement.—
Lauren Harvey,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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The Biden-era Justice Department, Washington, D.C., and six states sued in 2021, arguing the alliance violates Section 1 of the Sherman Act, a federal antitrust law that prohibits unreasonable restraints on competition.—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
30 June 2025
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Expectations for Jade are borderline unreasonable, and patience is a virtue in WWE as evidenced by all the times Karrion Kross was allowed to fall on his face for years before finally finding his voice.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fractious. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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