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
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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
Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 19 June 2025
Fans are more invested because sports gaming has entered the fray.
—Danyel Smith, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2025
Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
His relationship with the band had begun to fray amid creative disagreements, drug use, and Sly’s erratic behavior.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fray
Noun
Look for frays or spots where the line color is lighter than the rest.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 19 June 2025
Fans are more invested because sports gaming has entered the fray.
—Danyel Smith, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2025
Verb
Without recognition, your self-narrative begins to fray.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
His relationship with the band had begun to fray amid creative disagreements, drug use, and Sly’s erratic behavior.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fray
Noun
-
Potter faces a battle to restore optimism among the fanbase.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
-
Dorsey notably supported Kendrick Lamar during the high-profile rap battle between Kendrick and Drake last year, prompting fans to speculate that his apparent stance may have been influenced by Rooks’ connection to the Canadian rapper.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
Yet Villa were short of cash and the lack of financial headroom brought skirmishes with profit and sustainability rules (PSR).—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
-
Could a Stronger Federal System Have Prevented the Texas Disaster and is this even the question to ask? America’s approach to disaster relief has long been one of the recurring skirmishes in the larger political theatre of governance.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
If a person tears off someone’s ear or nose in a bar brawl, jail time is almost certain.—
Laura A. Bischoff,
The Enquirer,
4 July 2025
-
There's much to consider about this hypothetical brawl.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
Now, this fundamental principle is at risk of being eroded.—
Philippa Pham Hughes,
Time,
11 July 2025
-
Deals like these, which require OpenAI to sell stakes in the company, erode the nonprofit’s control of the business.—
Orson Aguilar,
Mercury News,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Javier Hernandez, executive director of the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, told The Associated Press that agents eventually arrested the Honduran man following the struggle inside the clinic that was captured on video.—
Greg Norman,
FOXNews.com,
11 July 2025
-
Franklin might be the most recent honoree (beating out Curt Cignetti), but the Penn State coach’s struggles with self-editing are not specific to his dealings with Notre Dame.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
In many ways, the game might offer a blueprint for the quarterfinal clash against Paris Saint-Germain.—
Manuel Veth,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
-
The stage would seem to be set for another of the Capitol’s periodic work comp clashes.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
28 June 2025
Verb
-
The deceased woman was also wearing a black necklace with a cross that family said belonged to DiNapoli, according to court documents.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
11 July 2025
-
More specifically, Middleton often wears two silhouettes: Superga 2750 Cotu Classics (usually $75, now as little as $35) and Veja Esplars (usually $150, now $128).—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Pledging weapons for Ukraine's fight appears to be the latest stage in this pivot.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
-
Here, there was a much tighter focus on the individual pieces of research that had become casualties in that larger fight.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fray. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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