1
as in fights
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective
another generation of scientists entered the fray to find a cure for AIDS
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in clashes
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
a troubled youth always getting into frays at school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in brawls
a rough and often noisy fight usually involving several people
school officials broke up the fray and gave all guilty parties detention
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as in erodes
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 frays
Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2026
Moschino presented pleated jeans with carrot-shape legs and jeans outlined with frays.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 9 Mar. 2026
Back in Paradise, the social fabric frays as the bunker deals with the aftermath of Season 1, and new secrets are uncovered about the city's origins.
—Mason Leib, ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
The link between the state and the public frays, power concentrates in the hands of the few and institutions are hollowed out.
—Maria Mendiluce, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
To stitch is to count days, to hold what frays, to choose tenderness as method and message.
—Olga Garcia-Mayoral, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025
Old frictions become new frays in the very first episode as Norma (Burnett) and Linda, née Penelope (Dern), collide in a tête-à-tête dispensing new secrets and poignant credos after the explosive season one finale that left Robert (Ricky Martin) shot and Linda cuffed.
—Trey Williams, HollywoodReporter, 14 Dec. 2025
Why do buyers see frays and stains as signatures of value?
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
The voting dispute is among a series of frays between the state and Huntington Beach, a coastal community of 193,000 with policies and ideology that contrast with those in much of deep-blue California.
—Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Nov. 2025
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
Conjuring the troubled inner life of a young, beautiful and successful Buenos Aires fashion designer with an uncommon mix of stylistic rigor and feeling, the film frays your nerves.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
The blend of pea proteins, baobab seed oil, and hydrolyzed quinoa work to reinvigorate strands from the inside out, sealing any breakage and preventing new frays.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2026
Moschino presented pleated jeans with carrot-shape legs and jeans outlined with frays.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 9 Mar. 2026
Back in Paradise, the social fabric frays as the bunker deals with the aftermath of Season 1, and new secrets are uncovered about the city's origins.
—Mason Leib, ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
The link between the state and the public frays, power concentrates in the hands of the few and institutions are hollowed out.
—Maria Mendiluce, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
To stitch is to count days, to hold what frays, to choose tenderness as method and message.
—Olga Garcia-Mayoral, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025
Old frictions become new frays in the very first episode as Norma (Burnett) and Linda, née Penelope (Dern), collide in a tête-à-tête dispensing new secrets and poignant credos after the explosive season one finale that left Robert (Ricky Martin) shot and Linda cuffed.
—Trey Williams, HollywoodReporter, 14 Dec. 2025
Why do buyers see frays and stains as signatures of value?
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
The voting dispute is among a series of frays between the state and Huntington Beach, a coastal community of 193,000 with policies and ideology that contrast with those in much of deep-blue California.
—Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
This particular aspect of the show frays the gripping tone that had been so masterfully crafted from its opening scene.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
Conjuring the troubled inner life of a young, beautiful and successful Buenos Aires fashion designer with an uncommon mix of stylistic rigor and feeling, the film frays your nerves.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frays
Noun
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Privatized airports avoided long shutdown waits Privatizing airport security, some in the business argue, makes airport workers and travelers less vulnerable to becoming pawns in congressional fights over policy issues.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Privatization could help remove TSA from congressional funding fights.—
Reuters,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Attacks like these are part of a long-running cycle of violence in north-central Nigeria, where disputes over land and grazing between mostly Muslim Fulani herders and largely Christian farming communities frequently escalate into deadly clashes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Know your limits to stay out of trouble or debt as the sun clashes with Jupiter!—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While on-ice brawls are nothing new in professional ice hockey, flying fisticuffs have a history in the police and fireman face off from years past.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The Avs and Stars haven’t had games devolve into all-out brawls like Tampa Bay and Florida have.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That reflex delays care and erodes trust.—
Liz Koch,
STAT,
6 Apr. 2026
-
When people fear being replaced or don’t know what’s coming, trust erodes.—
Michael Bush,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Meta suggested that Kaley’s mental-health struggles were attributable not to social-media addiction but, rather, to her mother’s emotional and physical abuse and neglect, and that Kaley’s social-media use was not the source of her troubles but a way to cope with them.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The mayor last December went on to lose a historic budget vote, in what one ally declared was a return of the 1980s Council Wars – a reference to the struggles of former Mayor Harold Washington.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The skirmishes are a preview for more campaigns later this year, when at least a half-dozen states will hold elections for utility regulators.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The most recent of many legal skirmishes to come to the public’s attention involves Paris Jackson, Michael Jackson’s daughter.—
Naomi Cahn,
The Conversation,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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As Minnesota's Medicaid program broils in the hot seat over a recent round of federal fraud indictments, Indiana's Medicaid program is gaining national attention as a counter-example for its efforts to crack down on program eligibility and waste.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
29 Dec. 2025
-
This Ninja air-fries, roasts, broils, bakes, and dehydrates—all while using about 80 percent less energy than a regular oven.—
Gabriela Izquierdo,
Southern Living,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Glosserman even pointed to a familiar GEICO insurance commercial — featuring a masked killer who, much like Leslie Vernon, wears no shoes and overalls — as an example of how their cult film’s visual language has seeped into the mainstream.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
-
To do what was once unthinkable in the fashion the Sabres did this season starts with Dahlin, a leader who wears his heart on his sleeve every night and competes over every inch of the ice.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frays. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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