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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in wild
difficult to manage or control
Security guards were overwhelmed by the fractious crowd at the concert.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fractious
The panthéonisation took place at a fractious political moment, three days after the resignation of Sébastien Lecornu, France’s fourth Prime Minister in thirteen months.
—
Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
As a Shiite-majority nation, Iran has long held fractious and even hostile relationships with Sunni jihadist actors.
—Jacob Ware, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
As a Shiite-majority nation, Iran has long held fractious and even hostile relationships with Sunni jihadist actors.
—Jacob Ware, Boston Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Amid the fractious national political environment, the Netflix-WBD deal has become a lightning rod for critics.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
As a Shiite-majority nation, Iran has long held fractious and even hostile relationships with Sunni jihadist actors.
—Jacob Ware, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
As a Shiite-majority nation, Iran has long held fractious and even hostile relationships with Sunni jihadist actors.
—Jacob Ware, Boston Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Amid the fractious national political environment, the Netflix-WBD deal has become a lightning rod for critics.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fractious
Adjective
-
James Ward Thursday night’s California governor debate underscored just how unsettled — and contentious — the race has become, with candidates repeatedly clashing over crime, election integrity, reproductive rights, and the balance of power between state and local government.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
The most contentious and controversial being some very pointed criticisms of Ole Miss, his former school.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
White Sox fans got the last laugh on Sunday afternoon as their squad completed a wild, thrilling comeback victory over their crosstown rivals.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
Ebola virus is transmitted to people from wild animals, such as fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates, with fruit bats believed to be the natural hosts of the orthoebolavirus.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
By then, Leonard Jeffries was one of the most controversial college professors in the country.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
In his typical spare and deliberate style, Romanian director Cristian Mungiu has crafted yet another Palme d’Or-worthy film that fearlessly treads into controversial issues in our society but pointedly doesn’t take sides.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s defiant bid to face down a rebellion left his future in the balance Wednesday, but that wasn’t going to stop the United Kingdom playing dress-up for the ceremonial State Opening of Parliament.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
-
Plum is braless, her vest open to reveal a shimmery pile of silver chains, her abs on defiant display.—
Jade Chang,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
That would be a massive threat to the hegemony established by the film, especially for people at their most curious, rebellious age.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
-
And what could be more rebellious than sending a roomful of serious cinephiles screaming for the exits?—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Conflict monitors, now watching with alarm as Islamist militants capture territory and stage attacks in Mali, urge the administration to pay closer attention to the restive Sahel region and other hot spots.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
14 May 2026
-
The next national election does not have to be held until 2029, but a wipeout on Thursday could tip a restive Labour Party into revolt against its unpopular leader.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 May 2026
Adjective
-
He was also booked on fresh charges of felony vandalism, battery against a former dating partner and willful disobedience of a court order.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
-
Under current Kansas law, reckless driving is defined as operating a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Sterling failed to live up to unreasonable expectations created by his huge contract, which quickly became a millstone.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
The construction strikes many locals as both unreasonable and unstoppable.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fractious. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
