1
as in battle
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective
another generation of scientists entered the fray to find a cure for AIDS
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2
as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
a troubled youth always getting into frays at school
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in brawl
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
school officials broke up the fray and gave all guilty parties detention
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as in to erode
to damage or diminish by continued friction
constant rubbing against the rock face has badly frayed our climbing rope
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fray
Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 9 June 2026
As for other new creatures, fans can expect Riftborne Bazelgeuse to join the fray.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 4 June 2026
Joshua Rivera, Vanity Fair, 8 June 2026
His nerves were frayed and his sleep suffered.
—Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fray
Noun
Graham has handily won each of his reelection bids in the past, but his support for Israel and the Iran war has created an opening for other conservatives to enter the fray.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 9 June 2026
As for other new creatures, fans can expect Riftborne Bazelgeuse to join the fray.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 4 June 2026
Verb
But five years into his FIRE plan, their relationship is beginning to fray at the edges.
—Joshua Rivera, Vanity Fair, 8 June 2026
His nerves were frayed and his sleep suffered.
—Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fray
Noun
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Mexico dominated, winning the possession battle 60% to 40%.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
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The Patriots had goals from Maya Feloney and Ava Bridgman, but the possession battle was firmly in NDA’s favor with the score being 5-2.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
11 June 2026
Noun
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Video taken by Fox News Digital showed several skirmishes breaking out as Anthony was handed a sentence of 35 years behind bars for Metcalf’s killing.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
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The comps were particularly rough that season, as the NYC-OKC skirmish was no match for what would prove to be Michael Jordan’s final championship in Chicago.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
3 June 2026
Noun
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The Buckeyes took exception, resulting in a brawl that was broken up by police officers wielding pepper spray.—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
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The same for the brawl with Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson after sliding hard into him at second base.—
Jeff Suess,
The Enquirer,
3 July 2025
Verb
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As the rocks eroded and wore away into their iconic shapes, Native people hunted, gathered and farmed beside them.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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Latest earnings from global luxury brands, such as Ralph Lauren and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, indicated recovering appetite for high-end beauty and fashion products in a market plagued by margin-eroding discounts in recent years.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
10 June 2026
Noun
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The couple also has been open about their struggle with IVF in recent years.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
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The family’s legal struggles have loomed large over the last several years, but Steven says two moments in particular stand out as the most difficult.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
Noun
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Much of this strife, including throughout the 1967-1970 civil war and subsequent clashes over the decades, has also been closely tied to feuds across ethnic and territorial lines.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Pfizer and Novo Nordisk are in a takeover clash over the obesity biotech Metsera, with both pharmaceutical giants raising their bids for the startup as of Monday.—
Annika Kim Constantino,Bertha Coombs,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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When a group of six fans wearing white t-shirts with the pre-revolution flag emblazoned on the fronts tried to enter, they were stopped by a security staffer, who called over her supervisor.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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Many fans have worn the pre-revolutionary flag of the sun and lion that FIFA had banned inside stadiums.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
Noun
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The North Carolina native was set to fight at middleweight against Ruziboev but tipped the scales at 190 pounds—four pounds over the non-title limit—forcing the fight to be canceled.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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One of Austin Butler's latest fight scenes may have gotten a little too real.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fray. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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