as in eroding
to damage or diminish by continued friction
constant rubbing against the rock face has badly frayed our climbing rope
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Recent Examples of fraying
The magic sauce lies in Brooklinen using long-staple cotton, which keeps the fibers from fraying and feeling rough.
—
Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 20 Jan. 2026
January 20 – February 18 Loose ends may be fraying the edges of your nervous system.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2026
Aquarius January 20 – February 18 Loose ends may be fraying the edges of your nervous system.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
And what the president is doing is fraying that.
—ABC News, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fraying
Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 20 Jan. 2026
January 20 – February 18 Loose ends may be fraying the edges of your nervous system.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2026
Aquarius January 20 – February 18 Loose ends may be fraying the edges of your nervous system.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
And what the president is doing is fraying that.
—ABC News, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fraying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fraying
Verb
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This chronic underfunding is eroding the dignity of aging and straining the health care system.—
Andrew Hevesi,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
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Protections for workers are eroding Nepal and Bangladesh are among several countries in Asia that rely heavily on remittances from migrant workers who are vulnerable to abuses despite decades of work aimed at protecting them.—
Elaine Kurtenbach,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Moments later, Carthen struts into the frame wearing a Patriot's jersey corset, an enormous fur stole, and knee-high Timberland stilettos.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
9 Feb. 2026
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For part of his sentence, he was allowed out to work with the Norwegian Football Federation coaching young players, while wearing an ankle tag.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fraying. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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