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

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

Even after five years of daily use, the double zippers never snag, the adjustable strap isn’t fraying, and the black color has hardly faded. — Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2026

For women who are functioning, performing and quietly fraying at the edges, this kind of shift can be profound. — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 13 July 2026

Some business executives said requests for visas applied for in the UAE to Saudi Arabia were rejected earlier this year, in another sign of fraying ties, the Financial Times reported. — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 9 July 2026

The band itself was fraying, with Stone recording much of the murky, druggy album in the attic of his Bel Air mansion. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 7 July 2026

Keep your vacuum inside the edges of the rug to avoid fraying the edge. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 July 2026

The same fear of a fraying dollar system is driving Russia and others toward bitcoin and pushing Wall Street to treat which reserve asset wins as a live question. — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026