as in tattered
worn or torn into or as if into rags
she wore a beloved but badly frayed flannel shirt
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as in eroded
to damage or diminish by continued friction
constant rubbing against the rock face has badly frayed our climbing rope
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Recent Examples of frayed
Heather Bien, Martha Stewart, 9 Jan. 2026
And finally, follow the American Dental Association’s guidelines1 of when to replace toothbrushes, which is every three to four months for adults (or, if the bristles become frayed), and more often for children.
—Elizabeth Brownfield, Southern Living, 7 Jan. 2026
Sources at the time of the cancellation told Deadline that Jackson and Big Meech’s frayed relationship was not the reason BMF ended.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2026
In its destruction, the Chiefs will have to repair a frayed relationship with those who considered the stadium’s location in Missouri part of their identity.
—Sam McDowell 23, Kansas City Star, 23 Dec. 2025
The water was the color of steeped tea; cypress knees were draped with moss like frayed velvet; gators slipped silently beneath us.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Dec. 2025
Goalscorer Rodrygo ran to the bench to hug Alonso, with the Brazilian winger joining Jude Bellingham after the game in insisting that the team is united behind their under-pressure boss, whose frayed relationship with Vinicius Junior has been widely publicized.
—Jack Bantock, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2025
Rising ambitions, frayed relationships, and bruised egos fuel a decade-long all-out war between the Swiss art dealer and the elusive Russian oligarch.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 Dec. 2025
Squealing can indicate a loose or frayed blower belt.
—Angie Hicks, Boston Herald, 6 Dec. 2025
Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Four years later, Afghanistan has faded from headlines and those lifelines have frayed.
—Vidushi Mishti Sharma, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Over time, the relationship frayed.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Many preventative care services are covered, at least partially, by insurance thanks to the Affordable Care Act, but experts say that net of protection has frayed over the years.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 8 Oct. 2025
The roots frayed with nowhere to go.
—Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
His trousers were too long, and the hems were frayed.
—Lisa K. Friedman, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
The international treaties and regimes that govern nuclear issues, particularly the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), are badly frayed.
—Mariano-Florentino CuÉllar, Foreign Affairs, 25 Sep. 2025
American health-care systems already frayed by a brutal pandemic are being dismantled further, and Americans’ antipathy for one another is having deadly effects on children and families.
—Rachel Pearson, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Old wiring, loose sockets, and frayed cords can be a safety hazard.
—Heather Bien, Martha Stewart, 9 Jan. 2026
And finally, follow the American Dental Association’s guidelines1 of when to replace toothbrushes, which is every three to four months for adults (or, if the bristles become frayed), and more often for children.
—Elizabeth Brownfield, Southern Living, 7 Jan. 2026
Sources at the time of the cancellation told Deadline that Jackson and Big Meech’s frayed relationship was not the reason BMF ended.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2026
In its destruction, the Chiefs will have to repair a frayed relationship with those who considered the stadium’s location in Missouri part of their identity.
—Sam McDowell 23, Kansas City Star, 23 Dec. 2025
The water was the color of steeped tea; cypress knees were draped with moss like frayed velvet; gators slipped silently beneath us.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Dec. 2025
Goalscorer Rodrygo ran to the bench to hug Alonso, with the Brazilian winger joining Jude Bellingham after the game in insisting that the team is united behind their under-pressure boss, whose frayed relationship with Vinicius Junior has been widely publicized.
—Jack Bantock, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2025
Rising ambitions, frayed relationships, and bruised egos fuel a decade-long all-out war between the Swiss art dealer and the elusive Russian oligarch.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 Dec. 2025
Squealing can indicate a loose or frayed blower belt.
—Angie Hicks, Boston Herald, 6 Dec. 2025
Verb
The first one will be connected to a larger community center so that even people who are not in-patient will be able to access health care, mental health care, career counseling, financial planning management and family therapy services to help rebuild relationships frayed by addiction.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Four years later, Afghanistan has faded from headlines and those lifelines have frayed.
—Vidushi Mishti Sharma, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Over time, the relationship frayed.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Many preventative care services are covered, at least partially, by insurance thanks to the Affordable Care Act, but experts say that net of protection has frayed over the years.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 8 Oct. 2025
The roots frayed with nowhere to go.
—Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
His trousers were too long, and the hems were frayed.
—Lisa K. Friedman, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
The international treaties and regimes that govern nuclear issues, particularly the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), are badly frayed.
—Mariano-Florentino CuÉllar, Foreign Affairs, 25 Sep. 2025
American health-care systems already frayed by a brutal pandemic are being dismantled further, and Americans’ antipathy for one another is having deadly effects on children and families.
—Rachel Pearson, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frayed
Adjective
-
Nearly every panel of the shoe is tattered and torn, including a heel seam that’s coming undone and reveals the inner cork components of the shoe.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
30 Oct. 2025
-
By the end of the summer my catalogs were tattered and worn.—
Neil Sperry,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But police-reform advocates say the momentum for change after Floyd’s death has stalled — and in some cases reversed — as transparency by law-enforcement agencies across the Bay Area and the nation has steadily eroded.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Consumers have remained reluctant to spend amid an uncertain employment outlook and a prolonged property crisis that has eroded household wealth.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
My breath is nervous and ragged but my will determined.—
Vanita Salisbury,
AFAR Media,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The result is a ragged primal scream of a film — not a cry for help, but rather, a bellow of maternal rage.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
For the Los Angeles premiere of Marty Supreme, the two wore custom Chrome Hearts looks.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Emma Stone wore comfy, but sophisticated silk pants to a Louis Vuitton event in New York.—
Kaitlin Clapinski,
InStyle,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Characterized by their faded or worn-out effect, as if their original color had been lightened by washing, these beloved jeans stand out for their vintage and carefree air.—
Mayte Salido,
Glamour,
4 Jan. 2026
-
The styling trick works even with an outfit that leans as grunge as this, with ballooning black cargo pants, a muted flannel, and a faded black tee.—
Alyssa Rotunno,
InStyle,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frayed. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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