1
as in battle
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 skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
a troubled youth always getting into frays at school
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in brawl
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 to erode
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 fray
Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
Unlike the entertainment industry, professional tennis has managed to stay refreshingly above the political fray.
—Beth Herman, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
Philippe Bolopion, Time, 1 Feb. 2026
Yet, how could a film that takes such an intimate look at the fraying healthcare net through the story of a woman with a cognitive disability and her declining parents be otherwise?
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fray
Noun
Then again, the protest song is right there in the fray with history, flashing across our screens, vying for our attention.
—Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
Unlike the entertainment industry, professional tennis has managed to stay refreshingly above the political fray.
—Beth Herman, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
Advertisement None of this will work, however, without civic courage inside countries where democracy is fraying.
—Philippe Bolopion, Time, 1 Feb. 2026
Yet, how could a film that takes such an intimate look at the fraying healthcare net through the story of a woman with a cognitive disability and her declining parents be otherwise?
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fray
Noun
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The star of the cache was a near-complete Iron Age battle trumpet, or carnyx — used to blare eerie sounds in battle and rally troops against the enemy.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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Alain Hamel is credited with catching the giant flatfish, which was pulled through the ice after a two-and-a-half hour battle.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Instead, an arcane academic skirmish has devolved into open hostilities.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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Meanwhile, in Milan, a skirmish broke out between police and demonstrators at the end of a protest that police said, according to The Associated Press, initially numbered 10,000 and was peaceful.—
Denny Alfonso,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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More thrilling than a hockey brawl?—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2026
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Back in 2018, a brawl nearly happened on the court after New Mexico forward Joe Furstinger shoved the Broncos’ Anthony Mathis following a 73-71 win for the visitors.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, the sinkhole had grown to 7 feet across and 10 feet deep and continues to actively erode the ground around it, Krul told The Star.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
11 Feb. 2026
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But multiple flood events over the decades have continued to erode the older infrastructure, leaving parts of it unsupported.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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If Grosz’s first book, The Examined Life, was all about his patients’ personal lives and struggles, Love’s Labor—which is written in a similar way, as a series of case studies—is much more interested in his patients’ approach to love, specifically.—
Daisy Jones,
Vogue,
10 Feb. 2026
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Continue reading … ROYAL RECKONING – Princesses Beatrice, Eugenie struggle with fallout from latest Epstein doc drop.—
,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The head of Yemen's ruling leadership council has named a new cabinet, weeks after deadly clashes in the country's south and the dissolution of a separatist group.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
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The march then diverted left onto Via Benaco, moving away from the Village with clashes beginning when the protest reached Piazzale Corvetto.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cody Powers said that his mother wore State Farm sweatshirts and T-shirts and entered every promotion the company offered.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
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Complex magazine also reported that the number may have served as a tribute to the singer's late uncle, who wore 64 as a football player.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Bass, in turn, warned the county’s actions could cause the city to backslide in its fight against homelessness.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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As tensions rise, Ron and Veronica's brutal knock-down fight in the middle of the newsroom is the perfect comic expression of the battle of the sexes.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fray. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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