as in tattered
worn or torn into or as if into rags
she wore a beloved but badly frayed flannel shirt
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in eroded
to damage or diminish by continued friction
constant rubbing against the rock face has badly frayed our climbing rope
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of frayed
Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 27 Aug. 2025
New member Kiirii also admits to frayed nerves while mentally preparing for the shoot.
—Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2025
In terms of wear, neither Baker or Alpert notice any shrinkage or frayed threads.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 22 Aug. 2025
Perform a visual inspection Look for cracked or frayed cables or other obvious signs of damage.
—Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2025
An ecru denim jacket and jeans with scorched and frayed hems emphasized the dystopian theme.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 13 Aug. 2025
Over in the automotive realm, V10 engines are hanging precariously by the thinnest sliver of a frayed thread thanks largely to boutique track car builders like Rodin and Red Bull.
—New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2025
Trier’s insightful and captivating adult drama, which won the Grand Prix at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, furthers the writer-director’s piercing exploration of the frayed ties that bind us to one another and to our creative selves.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
Photo: New York Magazine Bartsch leads the pack, dancing on a speaker (her favorite spot), wearing cutoff shorts, white leggings, red suspenders, and a frayed and cropped jean jacket with holes in the shoulders.
—Amy Virshup, Vulture, 14 May 2025
Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Its light wash and frayed raw hem look reminds me of the pair the lifestyle guru wore, and the ankle-skimming length is great for showing off a cute pair of sneakers, booties, or slip-on sandals.
—Averi Baudler, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025
So going back and exploring how Ben and Raife’s partnership frayed also became a foundation for season one of Dark Wolf.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
And over the years being taken for granted, that relationship frayed.
—ABC News, 24 Aug. 2025
His most capricious unilateral budget decisions have frayed the safety net, burdened veterans and frightened retirees who wonder what might become of Social Security.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Bonds between the United States and Europe, which Botstein planned to honor, have also frayed.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
That’s why new parents should set some grandparenting ground rules as soon as possible to avoid nasty arguments and frayed relationships down the road, according to bestselling author and parenting expert Esther Wojcicki.
—Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 27 Aug. 2025
New member Kiirii also admits to frayed nerves while mentally preparing for the shoot.
—Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2025
In terms of wear, neither Baker or Alpert notice any shrinkage or frayed threads.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 22 Aug. 2025
Perform a visual inspection Look for cracked or frayed cables or other obvious signs of damage.
—Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2025
An ecru denim jacket and jeans with scorched and frayed hems emphasized the dystopian theme.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 13 Aug. 2025
Over in the automotive realm, V10 engines are hanging precariously by the thinnest sliver of a frayed thread thanks largely to boutique track car builders like Rodin and Red Bull.
—New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2025
Trier’s insightful and captivating adult drama, which won the Grand Prix at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, furthers the writer-director’s piercing exploration of the frayed ties that bind us to one another and to our creative selves.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
Photo: New York Magazine Bartsch leads the pack, dancing on a speaker (her favorite spot), wearing cutoff shorts, white leggings, red suspenders, and a frayed and cropped jean jacket with holes in the shoulders.
—Amy Virshup, Vulture, 14 May 2025
Verb
Ashlee Simpson slayed in an all-black look featuring a cutout top and frayed asymmetrical hem.
—Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Its light wash and frayed raw hem look reminds me of the pair the lifestyle guru wore, and the ankle-skimming length is great for showing off a cute pair of sneakers, booties, or slip-on sandals.
—Averi Baudler, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025
So going back and exploring how Ben and Raife’s partnership frayed also became a foundation for season one of Dark Wolf.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
And over the years being taken for granted, that relationship frayed.
—ABC News, 24 Aug. 2025
His most capricious unilateral budget decisions have frayed the safety net, burdened veterans and frightened retirees who wonder what might become of Social Security.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Bonds between the United States and Europe, which Botstein planned to honor, have also frayed.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frayed
Adjective
-
Skyridge will send you its tattered battle plans during its long trip back to Utah.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Of the roiling mass of restless natives, cranky artists and tattered idealists who rose up across the Southland this summer to flip off darkness and call America back to its better angels?—
John Lopez,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Managers heard directly how decisions had eroded loyalty.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
The original Toxic Avenger was made for chump change and wore its low-budget nature proudly, while this version, which was shot in Bulgaria in 2021 and involves both practical and digital effects, tries to evoke that ragged aesthetic while working with more resources.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Frost is, by reputation, perhaps the foremost poet of rural, non-coastal New England — of birches and apple trees, of forests blanketed in snow, of pastures sliced by ragged stone walls, and of the flinty, self-sufficient kind of temperament that flourishes in those places.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Posing next to Colman Domingo and Salma Hayek Pinault (who wore an elegant black Balenciaga suit dress), Moore’s glitzy look shone.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The shooter wore dark clothing and fired from a building roof some distance away to the courtyard where the event at which Kirk was speaking took place.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Williams, in a faded plaid shirt, gray hair sprouting from under a John Deere hat, paced.—
Molly Parker,
ProPublica,
4 Sep. 2025
-
While some might have a faded tie-dye shirt in the back of their closet and listen to the occasional Grateful Dead album, seniors across the spectrum are turning to cannabis—many for the first time.—
Peter Su,
Rolling Stone,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frayed. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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