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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wild
difficult to manage or control
Security guards were overwhelmed by the fractious crowd at the concert.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fractious
Wilders announced his decision early Tuesday in a message on X after a brief meeting in parliament of leaders of the four parties that make up the fractious administration.
—
Graham Underwood, Arkansas Online, 4 June 2025
Advertisement Advertisement Lee takes office with a rare advantage in South Korea’s often fractious political system: a unified government.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 3 June 2025
The Ukrainian president is seeking to frame Putin as the key impediment to a peace deal, as Kyiv navigates a fractious bilateral relationship with President Donald Trump's administration.
—Oleksiy Pshemyskiy, ABC News, 31 May 2025
Conversely, plenty of Republicans inside and outside Trump’s orbit have tired of the downsides of dealing with the fractious businessman.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Graham Underwood, Arkansas Online, 4 June 2025
Advertisement Advertisement Lee takes office with a rare advantage in South Korea’s often fractious political system: a unified government.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 3 June 2025
The Ukrainian president is seeking to frame Putin as the key impediment to a peace deal, as Kyiv navigates a fractious bilateral relationship with President Donald Trump's administration.
—Oleksiy Pshemyskiy, ABC News, 31 May 2025
Conversely, plenty of Republicans inside and outside Trump’s orbit have tired of the downsides of dealing with the fractious businessman.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fractious
Adjective
-
That was displayed during a contentious exchange between Sen. Ted Cruz and conservative media figure Tucker Carlson.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
-
The topic of banning phones at gigs has been a contentious one over the years, with artists wishing for fans to live in the moment, and fans desiring a chance to memorialize their concert experiences.—
Tyler Jenke,
Billboard,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
In a wild twist, Mason, who ran the point for KU’s alumni team last July, has switched squads and will play for Boeheim’s Army, a collection of former Syracuse players.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
26 June 2025
-
Each spring, the officials explained, the women travelled out to these islands and built little wooden huts for wild eider ducks, protecting them from predators.—
James Rebanks
June 26,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
The other shoe dropped with an unsettling thud recently when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt openly gay-bashed in defense of her controversial boss.—
Louis Balsamo,
Baltimore Sun,
25 June 2025
-
However, the Trump administration did briefly propose a controversial 100% tariff on films made abroad to discourage runaway production.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
That’s what makes their fourth studio album, Lucius, almost defiant in its return to form.—
Marissa R. Moss,
Rolling Stone,
11 June 2025
-
Asked about his potential exit at the weekend while on international duty for Germany, Ter Stegen was defiant.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
From the start, Handy argues, the on-screen adventures in teen movies have been targeted to a double audience of rebellious teens and anxious adults.—
Hillary Kelly,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2025
-
In addition to provoking rebellious and impulsive actions, this unpredictable synergy can abruptly derail plans.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
Cruz was the fourth of her parents’ eight children and willful from a young age.—
Rebecca Grant
June 24,
Literary Hub,
24 June 2025
-
Importantly, and unlike the ICA, willful violations of the ADA can incur criminal penalties.—
Doug Criscitello,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
Solomon, 47, of Fairburn, was arraigned in federal court on June 17 on charges of using unreasonable force and obstructing justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia said in a news release.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2025
-
California Department of Education officials in 2018 found that school staff used unreasonable and unnecessary force in restraining Max.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fractious. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share