1
as in contentious
given to disagreement or irritation
At the end of what was a fractious campaign, the two former rivals were surprisingly able to settle some of their differences and work together.
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2
as in wild
difficult to manage or control
Security guards were overwhelmed by the fractious crowd at the concert.
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Recent Examples of fractious
Even among 25-34-year-olds, who have grown up in a fractious media environment, 40% say that the fragmentation of content and services has a negative impact on their TV viewing experience.
—
Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Forging this fractious coalition was key to Trump’s return to power, and the fate of his second term likely depends on his ability to keep it together.
—Walter Russell Mead, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
With the subsequent expansions of NATO in the years since the Cold War ended, the alliance has become ever more fractious and diverse.
—Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2026
In our fractious political climate, people sometimes think divergent expert opinions mean that consensus does not exist, or no experts can be trusted.
—Micah Altman, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Forging this fractious coalition was key to Trump’s return to power, and the fate of his second term likely depends on his ability to keep it together.
—Walter Russell Mead, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
With the subsequent expansions of NATO in the years since the Cold War ended, the alliance has become ever more fractious and diverse.
—Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2026
In our fractious political climate, people sometimes think divergent expert opinions mean that consensus does not exist, or no experts can be trusted.
—Micah Altman, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fractious
Adjective
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His margin of victory was 481 votes, and he was declared the winner several weeks after the election following a contentious recount.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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The Clippers also traded Chris Paul, who hadn’t been with the team since November after his return turned contentious amid the early struggles.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Jamian Juliano-Villani—whose civilian alter ego is that of a thirty-nine-year-old wild-child blue-chip airbrush artist of freaky, funny, referential mashups (Elvis, SpaghettiOs, Kissinger), and whose paintings are in the collections of the Whitney and the Guggenheim—has a solid one.—
Emma Allen,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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And from that fire has emerged a versatile forward with wild upside on both ends of the floor, an unlikely candidate to play a steady role on a veteran team with deep playoff aspirations.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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For instance, one very controversial current issue is whether women can keep their original names, the names they’re born with, after getting married.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
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Another theory posited that the 64 was a reference to the initial government death toll for 2017's Hurricane Maria, a controversial claim that was eventually corrected to 1,427.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Other defiant moments on a global stage The NFL has long maintained guardrails around the halftime show, particularly when performances edge toward political commentary.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Feb. 2026
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Bill and Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify in person to a Republican congressional investigation into notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, apparently ending their defiant campaign of resistance.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Your 6th House of Labor hosts mental Mercury, which squares rebellious Uranus in your 9th House of Journeys, stirring tension between tradition and modernization.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
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Lang went on to appear in most of Fuller’s films, including playing a rebellious German countess in his 1980 war epic The Big Red One, and several by their friend Wim Wenders.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Sarwar’s decision to call for Starmer to step down could embolden restive Labour lawmakers to do the same.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
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These elevated plants can be styled year-round with restive ribbons, colorful stones, or subtle seasonal accents to match your porch vibe.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Your 6th House of Work focuses under the willful Sun, which sextiles therapeutic Chiron in your 8th House of Shared Resources to support useful, sustainable adjustments.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2026
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And his time was one too of witnessing the willful destruction of entire cultures, the taking of lands, the Trail of Tears.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The Fourth Amendment protects people against unreasonable searches and seizures.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
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Those are clear violations of the Fourth Amendment’s safeguards against unreasonable searches and seizures, which were adopted to prevent the exercise of arbitrary government power.—
Yohuru Williams,
The Conversation,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fractious. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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