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
Their family life appeared to become increasingly fractious.
—
Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
Rifts on Domestic Policy Bill: President Trump pressured House Republicans to unify around a wide-ranging bill to deliver his domestic agenda, making a visit to Capitol Hill to urge his fractious members, lead by Representative Chip Roy, to overcome divisions that could sink the package.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
At Marquette, for example, Williams had a fractious relationship with athletic director Larry Williams, who suspended him for a Big East game and fired one of his top assistants as punishment for a recruiting violation.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2025
By Erik Wasson and Emily Birnbaum, Bloomberg House Republicans’ release of the tax provisions in their massive fiscal bill provides a crucial initial reading of what party leaders think could pass, culminating weeks of intense negotiations among fractious GOP lawmakers.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
Rifts on Domestic Policy Bill: President Trump pressured House Republicans to unify around a wide-ranging bill to deliver his domestic agenda, making a visit to Capitol Hill to urge his fractious members, lead by Representative Chip Roy, to overcome divisions that could sink the package.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
At Marquette, for example, Williams had a fractious relationship with athletic director Larry Williams, who suspended him for a Big East game and fired one of his top assistants as punishment for a recruiting violation.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2025
By Erik Wasson and Emily Birnbaum, Bloomberg House Republicans’ release of the tax provisions in their massive fiscal bill provides a crucial initial reading of what party leaders think could pass, culminating weeks of intense negotiations among fractious GOP lawmakers.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fractious
Adjective
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In that same post, Swift highlighted her contentious history with Braun, largely via his work with her longtime foe, Kanye West.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
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This public WiFi hijacking threat is almost as contentious as juice-jacking amongst cyber experts.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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This was still wild country, and Fuller set off with the express purpose of producing a book about her journey.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
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About 90% of wild flowering plants and 75% of food crops around the world depend on pollination to produce fruits and seeds, according to the National Park Service.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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Even so, deciding what counts as a species turns out to be surprisingly difficult and highly controversial.—
Elay Shech,
The Conversation,
30 May 2025
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The data linking water fluoridation to low IQ is controversial.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Bowser’s shifting response on immigration matters is one of a number of ways the mayor, a leading figure in the Democratic resistance during Trump’s first term, is now striking a less defiant tone.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
28 May 2025
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Moxley took out Nightingale to massive heat, and Omega hit a snap-dragon suplex on a defiant Marina Shafir.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Inspired by 1953’s The Wild One starring Marlon Brando, the song and video captures the rebellious spirit of the cult classic, with scenes of a motorcycle being driven on an open road and birds in flight.—
Althea Legaspi,
Rolling Stone,
4 June 2025
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Many historians estimate that at least 15 to 20 percent of the population remained loyal to the crown, some even taking up arms against their rebellious neighbors and fighting alongside the British.—
Greg Daugherty,
Smithsonian Magazine,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Moving out of Seattle also put almost 2,000 miles between the company’s top brass and its restive unions, which might have been one of the biggest attractions from the corner-office point of view.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2025
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After South Sudan declared independence, the regions bordering the breakaway country remained restive, and the Bashir regime began deploying a new paramilitary force there.—
Nicolas Niarchos,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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Grading for equity amounts to willful and moralized deception, including self-deception.—
The Editors,
National Review,
29 May 2025
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Hur, who was respectful of the aging president, declined to prosecute Joe Biden for his willful retention of classified documents found in Biden’s non-secure home garage.—
Matt Klink,
Oc Register,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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At this juncture, a 10-7 regular season record isn’t unreasonable.—
Charley Walters,
Twin Cities,
25 May 2025
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Are my feelings unreasonable? – Mother-of-the-Groom Gloom Dear Mother: Your feelings are completely reasonable.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fractious. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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