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
Growth is sluggish, politics are fractious, and debt levels are high.
—
Clem Chambers, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Centered on Liam and Noel, Oasis also became known for on-stage temper tantrums and fractious breakups, the last in 2009.
—Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
The battle between mother and child went on and on for weeks; not the least fractious were the violent discussions about personal pronouns.
—Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
Gutfeld's visit comes against the backdrop of a politically fractious moment in late-night.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Clem Chambers, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Centered on Liam and Noel, Oasis also became known for on-stage temper tantrums and fractious breakups, the last in 2009.
—Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
The battle between mother and child went on and on for weeks; not the least fractious were the violent discussions about personal pronouns.
—Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
Gutfeld's visit comes against the backdrop of a politically fractious moment in late-night.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fractious
Adjective
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China began conducting the contentious patrols after a February 2024 accident in which two Chinese fishermen drowned near Kinmen while fleeing from Taiwan’s coast guard.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Appointing James Bunce as performance director, having worked with him before at Monaco, was arguably the best decision of Mitchell’s short — and contentious — tenure.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Each frame evokes the gauzy coziness and charm of peak-era '80s horror films such as Silver Bullet (1985), with its wilder elements anchored by a murderers' row of accomplished performers.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, the energy costs involved in finishing the wall will take a brutal toll on wild species.—
Ganesh Marín,
The Dial,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Daniels also said the bill could conflict with the higher education overhaul, Senate Bill 1, which prohibits universities from taking a position on controversial beliefs or policies.—
Jessie Balmert,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Oct. 2025
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But residents are demanding reassurance that the land won’t be used for controversial projects dividing other communities, such as data centers.—
Miranda Dunlap,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Though the song order is Easter egg intentional – as with everything Swift – it’s bookended by a declaration of romantic salvation and a narrative from the perspective of a weary, yet defiant showgirl.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Polis has sought to avoid public fights with the federal government over immigration, unlike his more publicly defiant counterparts in Illinois and California.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Do something semi-rebellious in honor of Lane Kim Like dyeing your hair or joining a band!—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
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Kimmel is once again on the air throughout the country now that rebellious affiliate owners Nexstar and Sinclair have backed down and agreed to resume airing his ABC late-night show after a weeklong standoff.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The standoff is a political test for Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who has drawn scorn from a restive base of left-flank voters pushing the party to hold firm in its demands for health care funding.—
Mary Clare Jalonick,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
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His advice may further embolden Britain’s restive hard-right opposition.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The three, from Southern California, were arrested and booked into Mono County Jail on suspicion of willful discharge of a firearm in a grossly negligent manner, a felony.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
29 Sep. 2025
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Miller was charged with domestic abuse assault, willful injury and kidnapping, according to the sheriff.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The influencer, who was in her 20s and had garnered over 300,000 followers on TikTok, allegedly wanted to cut ties with Choi due to his coercive instructions and unreasonable scheduling, according to the reports.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
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As Philadelphia gears up for hopefully a return to the playoffs in 2025-26 (although title expectations would be probably an unreasonable expectation now), the team is not being particularly precious with its previous rotational thoughts.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fractious. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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