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
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 6 Aug. 2025
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
Subtle frays give garments an unfinished look, while embroidery, crochet and eyelet nod to slow fashion.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
-
Whereas large investors once uniformly supported settlements to avoid costly fights, some now argue that quick capitulations undermine shareholder democracy and give too much power to activists.—
Kai Liekefett,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The 6-foot-6 defenseman decisively won his fights.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
At least 22 police officers were injured during the clashes, a spokesperson for Spain’s National Police told CNN.—
Pau Mosquera,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Shots fired in San Bernardino, spike strips in Van Nuys, and clashes in Santa Ana highlight a rise in confrontations between immigration agents and civilians — a trend experts warn is intensifying across Southern California.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The curfew came following brawls with police, a racist threat and gunfire that led to a riot in the heart of Milwaukee's Black neighborhood on the city's north side.—
Steven Martinez,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Seattle Seahawks pratice erupted into many brawls.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Copper erodes naturally during the distillation process, Morris told me.—
Maggie Menderski,
The Courier-Journal,
12 Sep. 2025
-
An act like this just further feeds into the cycle of fear, grievance and retaliation that erodes democratic norms and highlights the dangerous realities that public figures across the political spectrum now have to deal with.—
Nick Mordowanec
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Girls in particular report drops in confidence, disrupted sleep, and heavier struggles with mental health.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Production shutdowns, layoffs BrightDrop's struggles come less than a year after GM folded the commercial vans into its Chevrolet brand in a bid to boost its performance as GM tries to gain ground against competitors, including Ford and Rivian, in the electric van space.—
Jackie Charniga,
Freep.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Still one of the NFL’s nastiest division rivalries, the game was full of skirmishes and a near-costly unnecessary roughness penalty late in the third against the Eagles that put the Cowboys in position to take the lead.—
Dan Gelston,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Ideological skirmishes over the motives and obligations of Carpenter’s music include both sincere interrogation of its feminism and smirking counteractive reprisals to that scrutiny.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But sometimes her faith wears thin.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
13 Sep. 2025
-
This type of nonsense from [in-laws] is what wears on you over the years.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The musical battles in K-Popped did require them to compete against each other.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Years of lobbying and court battles by the LGBTQ community have achieved a few successes over the past decade.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frays. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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