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
Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Jones predicted Whitmer and Shapiro may eventually join the fray if the confrontational approach proves successful.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2025
Todd Rogers, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
About eight or nine hours into a punishing shoot, nerves were fraying, and Mike McGuirk was getting chewed out by a camera operator.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fray
Noun
Or escape completely from the fray and bask in the quiet of the adults-only Hibiscus Pool or the 50,000-square-foot spa, the largest in the state.
—Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Jones predicted Whitmer and Shapiro may eventually join the fray if the confrontational approach proves successful.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
Advertisement Sports fandom has a special power to connect people, especially at a time when so many of our traditional civic bonds are fraying.
—Todd Rogers, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
About eight or nine hours into a punishing shoot, nerves were fraying, and Mike McGuirk was getting chewed out by a camera operator.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fray
Noun
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When a person is gravely ill, they’re often forced to fight two battles, one against their sickness and the other against the insurance company.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
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Looking back at Charlotte’s recent FCS opponents, dating back to 2021, the 49ers haven’t won the turnover battle in any of the four matchups, resulting in uncomfortably close games and even a lopsided loss to William & Mary in 2022.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Still one of the NFL’s nastiest division rivalries, the game was full of skirmishes and a near-costly unnecessary roughness penalty late in the third against the Eagles that put the Cowboys in position to take the lead.—
Dan Gelston,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Ideological skirmishes over the motives and obligations of Carpenter’s music include both sincere interrogation of its feminism and smirking counteractive reprisals to that scrutiny.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Setting aside the brewing shutdown brawl, allowing the subsidies to go by the way side could also be politically untenable for certain vulnerable Republicans and tee up voter backlash in next year’s midterms.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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Inter Miami players Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Tomas Aviles, and Seattle Sounders staff member Steven Lenhart, received multiple game suspensions from the 2026 Leagues Cup as punishment for their behavior during a post-game brawl following Sunday’s Leagues Cup final.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Chinese policymakers have intensified efforts aimed at reining in excessive price cuts that have eroded corporate profits while doing little to spur demand.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
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Higher prices risk eroding consumers’ purchasing power, and for those living paycheck to paycheck this can be quite painful.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The decision stems from a class action lawsuit filed during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the financial struggles of disabled individuals who lost part-time jobs.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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During an appearance on Today With Jenna & Friends, Cummings, 43, candidly joked about her experience with postpartum depression after welcoming her son Henry back in December 2023, sharing that her struggles even inspired the name of her ongoing Big Baby tour.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The cutbacks are the result of a clash over two budgets—the SEPTA budget and the Pennsylvania budget.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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An opening clash in Luxembourg is followed up by a bout against the four-time world champions in Cologne, as Michael O’Neill’s young team dreams of emulating the side that made it to the 1986 tournament in Mexico.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Officials said that none of the passengers on the boat were wearing life jackets at the time of the incident, and alcohol is not believed to have been a factor in the crash.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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Rare was the big public event in which none of the bold names were telling red-carpet interlocutors that were wearing Armani.—
Belinda Luscombe,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Sinner eventually came through in a display of fight and quality in adversity, and now has a day’s rest to manage the problem.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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Classes were offered on serving in-fight refreshments and putting on make-up.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fray. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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