How to Use fraying in a Sentence

fraying

noun
  • To keep the rope ends from fraying, use a lighter to seal them.
    — Katie Leporte, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 May 2021
  • Now there's starting to be some fraying around the edges there.
    — NBC News, 20 June 2021
  • The end of all the ropes are shrunken with heat to prevent fraying.
    — Chris Hachey, BGR, 26 Mar. 2021
  • To help lace keep its shape and avoid fraying or loose threads, keep it away from any intense heat.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2024
  • And are there costs to us in the fraying of the relationship?
    — CBS News, 20 Nov. 2019
  • If desired, tape or sew the edges of the fabric to prevent fraying.
    — Country Living Staff, Country Living, 10 Jan. 2020
  • His is a voice under pressure that sometimes sounds just this side of fraying.
    — Adam Bradley Adam Bradley Photographs By D’angelo Lovell Williams Styled By Ian Bradley Nick Haramis Photographs By Lise Sarfati Styled By Suzanne Koller Sasha Weiss Photographs By Justin French Susan Dominus Photographs By Luis Alberto Rodriguez Styled By Charlotte Collet, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2022
  • The tough fibers always knock the dirt off, and even after a year of hard use, there isn’t any fraying.
    — Jakob Schiller, Outside Online, 19 Apr. 2022
  • The breaking and fraying of the rope matched the pattern on Miller's.
    — Logan Smith, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
  • The tips should be tightly closed, without fraying or damage.
    — Katie Workman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024
  • These socks hold up well in the wash with no fraying, but remember to wash cold and lay out to dry to avoid pilling.
    — Leslie Hsu Oh, Travel + Leisure, 27 Jan. 2023
  • Over time, the fabric fibers wear down, leading to thinning, fraying, or small tears.
    — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Another sign is if there’s noticeable fraying at the toe or heel of your shoe.
    — Julia Ries, Outside Online, 21 Dec. 2024
  • Cut clothesline into pieces to fit your design, and singe the ends of each piece to prevent fraying.
    — Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2023
  • Cut a clothesline into pieces to fit your design, and singe the ends of each piece to prevent fraying.
    — Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2023
  • Denim should be one color, not faded, with no fraying or ripping.
    — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Ahead of the vote, Erdogan has been on a quest to mend fraying ties and strengthen old ones.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 27 Jan. 2023
  • The buttons felt well-made too, and their eyeholes held them nicely in place without any fraying.
    — Olivia Avitt, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2023
  • Cons There were small signs of wear, including light fraying, after a few weeks of use.
    — Camryn Rabideau, Peoplemag, 16 Jan. 2024
  • This design is made with polypropylene, and the edges are heat-treated to help prevent fraying and wear.
    — Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 28 June 2023
  • Wrap cords using cable ties to prevent tangling and fraying.
    — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Apr. 2026
  • At the first sign of breakage or fraying, your charging wire should be discarded and replaced.
    — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 18 May 2026
  • Alas, that fraying is sometimes so pronounced that the music becomes less poignant than jarring.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Dec. 2023
  • That would keep them on the fraying edge of the playoff picture until the last few weeks of the regular season.
    — Pat Brennan, Cincinnati.com, 15 July 2019
  • Secure Ends Your next step is to secure the ends, to prevent any messy fraying once the trim is in place.
    — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, 13 Mar. 2019
  • Burke is set to undergo surgery Friday to repair a partial tear and some fraying in his left labrum.
    — Evan Grant, Dallas News, 24 Feb. 2020
  • This runner is finished and bound around all four edges and at the corners to provide a finished look and prevent fraying.
    — Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Clear nail polish can postpone the fraying and unwinding by coating the ends and making the items more durable for longer.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
  • What to Consider The edges could be more tailored to prevent fraying.
    — Sarah Kester, Travel + Leisure, 16 Nov. 2023
  • Make sure there are no signs of obvious fraying before using one — if there’s even a small hint of excessive wear, throw it out.
    — Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fraying.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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