as in eroding
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 fraying
Use a soft brush — or even a toothbrush for tight crevices — and go gentle to avoid fraying the material.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
Use a soft brush — or even a toothbrush for tight crevices — and avoid scrubbing too aggressively, which can cause fraying.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2026
Use a soft brush or even a toothbrush to get into crevices, and be gentle to avoid fraying the material.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Use a soft brush or even a toothbrush for crevices, and go gentle to avoid fraying the material.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fraying
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
Use a soft brush — or even a toothbrush for tight crevices — and avoid scrubbing too aggressively, which can cause fraying.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2026
Use a soft brush or even a toothbrush to get into crevices, and be gentle to avoid fraying the material.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Use a soft brush or even a toothbrush for crevices, and go gentle to avoid fraying the material.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fraying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fraying
Verb
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In the medium term, customers will use their own agents to shop rates and switch providers, eroding the inertia that has long protected incumbent relationships.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
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Back when the general plan was created in 2004, there wasn’t even any mention of climate resilience — the effects of sea level rise and eroding beaches had not yet taken hold.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Mira arrived with her friends, wearing the pink dress and a pair of Air Force 1s.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Graham kept the rest of the styling pared down, wearing soft waves, hoop earrings and carrying a small metallic clutch.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fraying. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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