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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
The departure of Matt Roy was hedged somewhat by the signing of Joel Edmundson two summers ago, but replacing Vladislav Gavrikov and Jordan Spence with Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci while Drew Doughty, 36 and in his 18th season, grays and frays has proven highly counterproductive.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 18 Apr. 2026
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Use a soft brush or even a toothbrush for crevices, and go gentle to avoid fraying the material.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fray
Noun
However, Amazon and other online marketplaces are jumping into the beauty fray, selling makeup from legacy brands at considerable discounts.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
The departure of Matt Roy was hedged somewhat by the signing of Joel Edmundson two summers ago, but replacing Vladislav Gavrikov and Jordan Spence with Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci while Drew Doughty, 36 and in his 18th season, grays and frays has proven highly counterproductive.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 18 Apr. 2026
Verb
Use a soft brush or even a toothbrush to get into crevices, and be gentle to avoid fraying the material.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Use a soft brush or even a toothbrush for crevices, and go gentle to avoid fraying the material.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fray
Noun
-
The Navy has 16 warships — 11 destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, an aircraft carrier and a littoral combat ship — in the Middle East out of a battle force of roughly 300 total warships.—
Konstantin Toropin,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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The Navy has 16 warships — 11 destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, an aircraft carrier, and a littoral combat ship — in the Middle East out of a battle force of roughly 300 total warships.—
Konstantin Toropin,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Walker, in a 10-pitch skirmish, drew a walk.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
19 Apr. 2026
-
After a skirmish in Lexington the British forces faced a larger band of Minutemen in Concord.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Other brewhouse brawls happen at Magnanimous Brewing in Tampa (Havoc And Haze) and Walking Tree Brewery in Vero Beach (Rooted In Chaos), often drawing 300 to 500 visitors, CCW co-owner Dan Ackerman says.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Angels’ Jorge Soler and Braves’ Reynaldo Lopez get a seven-game suspension for their brawl.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
European carmakers are losing their premium brand status in China, as younger consumers opt for cars from domestic brands, further eroding Western firms’ prospects in a cutthroat global market.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
In a market as mobile as high-end real estate, even modest shifts can erode the tax base.—
Martha E. Stark,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There have been struggles in her first full season at Chelsea but Wiegman trusts her enormously, handing her the captain’s armband in Williamson’s absence for her 100th cap in the 1-0 win over Spain.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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In recent years, Congress has shielded wildfire settlements from taxes, but legislation to do so was short-lived and a struggle to pass, leaving gaps between laws that risk saddling some survivors with a possible tax burden on their compensation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
All three judges scored it 98-92 for the 29-year-old Briton, who sustained cuts over both eyes from head clashes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
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And the clash of ideologies must now be balanced on the backs of many hardworking people trying to keep their children out of institutional care and on the Medicaid providers that support them.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Two men carried an effigy of Maduro, his eyes blood-red, and his teeth vampiric, wearing a prison jumpsuit with a chain around his neck.—
Diego Lasarte,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2026
-
For accessories, Hathaway wore a set of pink gold Bulgari jewels, including a sparkly wrap bracelet, dangling earrings, and a red cocktail ring, according to InStyle.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Republican candidates, State Senator Mayes Middleton and Central Texas Congressman Chip Roy, are in a very contentious fight.—
Jack Fink
April 12,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The crowd laughed, and the Parenthood actor noted that people intervened and broke up the fight.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fray. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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