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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fraying
However, the bedding itself has held up well without any fraying threads or color fading.
—
Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 23 Sep. 2025
These death-spiral sequences are bluntly shot in and out of focus by cinematographer Doug Emmett to capture a fraying state of mind, if James’ actorly tics and frittering weren’t enough to indicate that.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 19 Sep. 2025
What was once envisioned as a vital partnership of the 21st century is fraying—and becoming another source of uncertainty in a world order that seems to be unraveling.
—Vaibhav Vats, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2025
About eight or nine hours into a punishing shoot, nerves were fraying, and Mike McGuirk was getting chewed out by a camera operator.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fraying
Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 23 Sep. 2025
These death-spiral sequences are bluntly shot in and out of focus by cinematographer Doug Emmett to capture a fraying state of mind, if James’ actorly tics and frittering weren’t enough to indicate that.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 19 Sep. 2025
What was once envisioned as a vital partnership of the 21st century is fraying—and becoming another source of uncertainty in a world order that seems to be unraveling.
—Vaibhav Vats, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2025
About eight or nine hours into a punishing shoot, nerves were fraying, and Mike McGuirk was getting chewed out by a camera operator.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fraying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fraying
Verb
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That contrast only sharpens China’s advantage, where Beijing offers scale and direction, Europe risks eroding credibility.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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But those alternatives are more costly, eroding profits.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To reduce the risk of mosquito bites and West Nile virus, health officials recommend using insect repellent and wearing long sleeves and long pants when outdoors, especially during peak mosquito activity at dawn and dusk.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
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My social media pages feature all complexions, including fair, medium, deep, and dark, each wearing different blush tones.—
Essence,
Essence,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fraying. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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