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
Tatjana Baleta, Time, 28 May 2026
After Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian fired shots at Ole Miss’ academic standards — and indirectly former coach Lane Kiffin — Sumrall, a one-time assistant in Oxford, entered the fray.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 26 May 2026
For the last few years, he’s been mired in a complex web of mounting fees and permit nightmares, getting punted back and forth between city departments like a fraying football.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fray
Noun
When that web frays, ecosystems lose their ability to store carbon and produce food, water, and oxygen, while withstanding climate stress.
—Tatjana Baleta, Time, 28 May 2026
After Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian fired shots at Ole Miss’ academic standards — and indirectly former coach Lane Kiffin — Sumrall, a one-time assistant in Oxford, entered the fray.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Verb
Repairing the country’s fraying social ties will be a challenge.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 26 May 2026
For the last few years, he’s been mired in a complex web of mounting fees and permit nightmares, getting punted back and forth between city departments like a fraying football.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fray
Noun
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Losing that battle could cost him more than $100 million, according to the Times.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
-
It is embedded within the city’s historic Jackson Park, a decision that was met with legal battles as an environmental group sued the City of Chicago for allowing a private project to be built on public land.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Inconspicuous blows against Denver escalated to skirmishes.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
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Meanwhile, the religious right profited handsomely from the skirmish.—
Isaac Butler,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
Noun
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The four women on the outside eventually got into a brawl while Cargill and Bliss continued to battle in the ring.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
-
Bond's relative lack of experience and finesse also feeds into the chaos of all-out brawls.—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Given that nursing home costs can easily exceed tens of thousands of dollars annually — and often much more depending on location and level of care — those expenses can quickly erode a retirement nest egg.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
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Consequently, rising inflation has steadily eroded real purchasing power, leaving 59 percent of Americans without sufficient savings to absorb a minor financial shock, such as a $1,000 emergency.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The record of my thinking is right there in the open, teaching me tolerance for my fumbling, training me not to hide my struggle behind a seamless façade of digital perfection.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
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Last week, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office announced the jail will stop accepting most misdemeanor arrestees beginning July 1, pointing to struggles with the conditions at the jail and struggles dealing with overcrowding.—
Madeline Montgomery,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
With simple syrup the clash of the liqueurs is too sharp, the flavor equivalent of swords clanging together.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
30 May 2026
-
The ruling is the latest high-profile clash between Williams and Republican officials.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Mark, on a skateboard, and Jacob, also wearing inline skates, followed a little more than an arm’s length behind.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
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There’s a similar amount of personality within Hadspen House, where a Roman bust wears a necklace of seashells and a snug room is decorated in the colors of the croquet set outside on the lawn.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The larger federal action was still a budget-and-eligibility fight dressed up in the language of reform.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
Congress, not the budget, had the last word Behind the single lease sat a much larger fight.—
Ingmar Rentzhog,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fray. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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