Synonyms of fraying

fraying

verb

present participle of fray

as in eroding

to damage or diminish by continued friction

constant rubbing against the rock face has badly frayed our climbing rope

Synonyms & Similar Words

• eroding
• wearing
• rubbing
• chafing
• reducing
• abrading
• biting
• erasing
• fretting
• scraping
• sharpening
• galling
• shaving
• gnawing
• rasping
• frazzling
• eating
• scuffing
• disintegrating
• corrading
• corroding
• chewing
• scouring
• filing
• nibbling
• grazing
• grating
• wiping (away)
• sandpapering
• decomposing
• sandblasting
• dissolving
• wearing out
• grinding
• whetting
• honing
• rubbing out
• breaking down
• breaking up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fraying

Amid competing global crises and shifting donor priorities, that safety net is fraying. — Lorcan Lovett, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026

To help prevent the fabric around the drawstring hole from fraying, paint a rectangle and snip an opening in the channel as described below. — Jodi Levine, Parents, 21 Aug. 2026

The harsh realities of war are woven into the textures of everyday life, warping and fraying into something absurd. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026

More drones and missiles are slipping through both sides’ fraying air defenses, meaning that the civilian death toll has increased, and more critical infrastructure is being damaged. — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

The accusations only make Winifred, who has secretly been dealing with a rapidly fraying psyche, more paranoid, leading to bloody and dangerous consequences. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 30 July 2026

Nanfelt said some have misread any concern of unexpected decisions this year as pointing to a fraying relationship between city leadership and the business community. — Dj Simmons july 27, Charlotte Observer, 27 July 2026

If literacy is a key part of the American story, that narrative seems to be fraying at the edges. — Austin Sarat, The Conversation, 23 July 2026

This is true for the reasons outlined above (lack of safety features and fraying cords), but also because the bulbs get extremely hot. — Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 17 July 2026