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
Zelensky and Trump have had a fractious relationship at times.
—
Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to scuttle the attempt, but his coalition emerged scathed and fractious.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to scuttle the attempt, but his coalition emerged scathed and fractious.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fractious
Adjective
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Although sometimes contentious, his most recent appearance lacked the acrimony from lawmakers who had accused the director and the lottery's oversight board of misleading the Legislature about the courier companies.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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After the initially contentious plan in 1994 to establish a citywide youth curfew, part of the plan involved extending hours at recreation centers in Evanston and Price Hill.—
David Ferrara,
The Enquirer,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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Robert reached with one out in the fifth, legging out the infield single and taking second on a wild throw.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
20 July 2025
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But when 5,000 Trevally fight back, the hunters become the hunted in one of the ocean’s wildest showdowns.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
Adjective
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Beyond his work on the sitcom, Hip has been a regular in films by the controversial director Abel Ferrara, including China Girl (1987), Bad Lieutenant (1992), and The Funeral (1996).—
Will Harris,
EW.com,
30 July 2025
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The death was ruled a suicide, a controversial ruling that has become conspiracy fodder and the subject of intense scrutiny.—
Liam Quinn,
People.com,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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On Monday, asked about the poll proposal at an unrelated event, Adams was defiant.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
14 July 2025
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Trump's defiant response in Butler, Penn., may have fueled his big Election Day gains among male voters.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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The chancellor is caught between febrile bond markets worried about government debt levels across advanced economies and rebellious Labour lawmakers who recently forced the government to pull back on reforms to welfare spending.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
22 July 2025
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Once Audrey Hepburn was seen in a pair of the prototypical capri pants, everyone wanted to own them, and de Lennart’s hero product was later donned by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor: appreciated for its originally rebellious intentions and modern-woman appeal.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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Iranian experts have long urged successive U.S. administrations to provide strike pay and other forms of aid to restive workers in the Islamic Republic, with a view to improving human rights and causing regime change from within.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2025
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Some of the richest Gulf Arab countries, such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, will worry that the destabilizing effects of a heavy-handed regime change could stir their own sizable and restive Shia Muslim populations.—
Matt Bradley,
NBC news,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Likewise, Elon Musk, one of the world's most effective transmitters of AGI hype, announced safety assurances that cleverly imply a willful or dangerous AI.—
Eric Siegel,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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The Bakersfield woman was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of willful cruelty to a child, according to online court records.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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The same could be true of the recent cost estimates, but construction technology has advanced in the past half century, so that lower costs per mile are not unreasonable.—
Michael Lynch,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
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Barbara Attard, a police accountability expert, said meet and confer can last months, but beyond a year is unreasonable.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fractious. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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