1
as in delicate
easily broken
attaching the beautiful but fragile ornaments to the Christmas tree is always a touchy operation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sensitive
easily injured without careful handling
babies are fragile, so remember to care for them gently
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3
as in small
small in degree
a fragile possibility that we might emerge from this fiasco unscathed
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fragile
Antiques made from fragile materials like wood, textile, porcelain, or paper can easily deteriorate if not properly cared for.
—
Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2025
But Lafosse doesn’t linger on the sociology of the situation and instead emphasizes how secrets and lies fray this fragile family’s cohesion.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025
Every false certainty erodes the trust that holds the fragile bridge between patients and their doctors.
—Dr. Craig Spencer, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
The fragile diplomatic engagement, however, stopped short of settling enrichment disputes, a concern shared by Western powers and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran dismissed.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fragile
Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2025
But Lafosse doesn’t linger on the sociology of the situation and instead emphasizes how secrets and lies fray this fragile family’s cohesion.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025
Every false certainty erodes the trust that holds the fragile bridge between patients and their doctors.
—Dr. Craig Spencer, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
The fragile diplomatic engagement, however, stopped short of settling enrichment disputes, a concern shared by Western powers and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran dismissed.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fragile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fragile
Adjective
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But their insect-like movements hint at a future where fleets of miniature robots could glide across water, performing tasks once too dangerous or delicate for humans.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Silver’s delivery is, possibly, more delicate than mine will be.—
Sophie Ansari,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The discovery renews scrutiny of Bolton’s handling of sensitive national security information and echoes long-standing concerns first raised during a contentious legal battle over his 2020 memoir.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
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The cyberattacks resulted in Caesars Entertainment losing sensitive customer data, according to financial filings, and MGM Resorts International properties experienced significant operational disruptions.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In an initial analysis that didn’t control for genetic factors, the researchers found a small association between women who used acetaminophen during pregnancy and the incidence of autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability.—
Dominique Mosbergen,
Time,
23 Sep. 2025
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The Twins averaged 22,108 fans a game, 24th out of 30 Major League Baseball teams, though two of those teams behind them are playing in smaller-capacity, minor league stadiums.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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If that architecture is leaky, expensive, and brittle, the more visible parts of the transition, batteries, windmills, and solar farms, are harder to deploy at scale.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Sep. 2025
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The wood of sequoias is considered brittle, and few logs made it to the mill.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Newborns and frail older people often have a hard time coughing up the mucus, Hopkins says.—
Liz Szabo,
Scientific American,
23 Sep. 2025
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Sheikh has been on an extended nine-month course of antibiotics, but with just three months of that treatment left, his body is still frail.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Unlike my Vitamix, which takes up prime real estate on my kitchen island, the Smart Stick is slim enough to tuck away in a drawer and light enough to pop on the dish rack.—
Olivia Tarantino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
20 Sep. 2025
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Hakuba Backpack This slim yet shockingly spacious backpack is a sleek personal item choice for air travel that’ll easily slide under the seat of most commercial airlines with room to spare.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Depending on your budget, this may mean only hiring movers to take care of a small portion of your more breakable, bulky or precious items, while teaming up with friends or family to take care of the rest.—
Talia Wexler,
CNBC,
4 July 2025
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Accidents in which planes hit breakable structures at the end of runways have tended not to be deadly: In October 2022, a Korean Air plane skidded off a runway in the Philippines amid heavy rain and collided with a metal structure.—
Grace Moon,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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This November’s key off-year contests and the 2026 midterm elections may not go well for the Republican Party; historically, the president’s party loses ground in both.—
David M. Drucker,
Twin Cities,
19 Sep. 2025
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The peekaboo bra layering trend saw a resurgence in 2024, thanks in part to celebrities like Katie Holmes, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Kristen Stewart and more styling the trend on the red carpet and with their off-duty attire.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fragile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fragile. Accessed 27 Sep. 2025.
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