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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fraying
Val’s rapidly fraying relationship with Billy, who has called her in to talk about the disconnect between them.
—
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
Use a soft brush — or even a toothbrush for tight crevices — and go gentle to avoid fraying the material.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
Use a soft brush — or even a toothbrush for tight crevices — and avoid scrubbing too aggressively, which can cause fraying.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2026
Use a soft brush or even a toothbrush for crevices, and go gentle to avoid fraying the material.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fraying
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
Use a soft brush — or even a toothbrush for tight crevices — and go gentle to avoid fraying the material.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
Use a soft brush — or even a toothbrush for tight crevices — and avoid scrubbing too aggressively, which can cause fraying.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2026
Use a soft brush or even a toothbrush for crevices, and go gentle to avoid fraying the material.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fraying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fraying
Verb
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Psychological safety — which 83% of executives in the MIT Technology Review survey identified as measurably improving AI initiative outcomes — is eroding inside those same initiatives.—
Julie Averill,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
More broadly, the NFL is eroding the scarcity that helped turn the sport into America’s dominant television property.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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On her lunch break, mama walks us over to the library still wearing her scrubs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
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Laneda taught Sunday school, and her sons were Cornerstone ushers, wearing white gloves and delivering a welcome address to visitors at the start of Sunday services.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fraying. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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