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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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
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Mexico dominated, winning the possession battle 60% to 40%.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
The Patriots had goals from Maya Feloney and Ava Bridgman, but the possession battle was firmly in NDA’s favor with the score being 5-2.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
11 June 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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Cobb lives across the street from where the brawl happened.—
Brittney Ermon,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
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Like all of the film’s most fist-pumping setpieces, of which there are several, the getaway brawl is a fevered array of different fighting styles that smash into each other like concrete blocks to create something faintly new.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
12 June 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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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
-
This is not the company's first clash with Washington.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
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The clash comes as prediction markets push for mainstream legitimacy despite a series of insider trading allegations.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Most baseball fights produce a little shoving, occasional hugging, some dancing and pulled powderpuff punches.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
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Coming just three days after launch, and after tech leaders and social media influencers showcased Fable’s leap in performance over earlier models, the sudden block has become a larger fight over who decides when an AI system is too powerful for open access.—
Ron Schmelzer,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fray. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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