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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fray
Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
Senegal Senegal’s film is culturally rich and cinematic in quality, evoking the pride of a nation selecting its most talented men to send into the fray overseas.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 1 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
Another candidate who has joined the anti-data-center fray is Abdul El-Sayed, currently running to be the Democratic nominee for the state’s open Senate seat, on a platform proposing strict regulation of such projects.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
Senegal Senegal’s film is culturally rich and cinematic in quality, evoking the pride of a nation selecting its most talented men to send into the fray overseas.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 1 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
-
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
-
One of those skirmishes, in fact, involved Childress himself, in 2011 at Kansas Speedway, when the then-65-year-old car owner for an opposing team got into a physical altercation with Busch after an on-track incident.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2026
-
At Bunker HIll, historical displays are accompanied by panels with quotes that reflect on the monument and the Battle of Bunker Hill, the first major skirmish of the Revolutionary War.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
Remember the legal brawl CEO Elon Musk faced over his $56 billion moonshot pay package at Tesla?—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
-
Shia LaBeouf pleaded guilty Wednesday to three counts of simple battery and was sentenced to probation for a Mardi Gras brawl in New Orleans.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
However the failure to reach an agreement on the 100-billion Euro ($116 billion) project, which also includes Spain, underscores the struggles Europe has faced in rebuilding its military capacity after decades of underinvestment.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Dearica Hamby had 22 points with 12 rebounds, a solid response for the veteran forward following her struggles in recent games.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The acquisition also created an opportunity for some friendly clubhouse banter, particularly because Lauer spent years trying to beat the Dodgers while pitching for rival organizations, most notably during the teams’ epic clash in last year’s World Series.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
Last year, clashes between the Kashmiri group’s supporters and security forces killed several people, including police officers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Like Morgan and Lee, Tina Fey was dressed the part of a super fan, wearing a Knicks jersey.—
Chelsea Stahl,
NBC news,
9 June 2026
-
Perry wore a floor-length white gown as Trudeau kept his look simple in a white dress shirt and black blazer over matching slacks.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Attorneys say Gray intervened in fight Attorneys claim Gray was attempting to break up a fight when Tarver pulled out a gun and shot him.—
Erin Jones,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
-
For Ritter, the elevated bar is almost beside the point, because the SpaceX grants differ fundamentally from the Tesla fight.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fray. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
