as in brittle
having a texture that readily breaks into little pieces under pressure
sand dollars are friable, so handle them carefully
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Recent Examples of friable
However, the fragile and friable nature of aged amber likely posed a significant challenge to its removal.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Mar. 2026
Those unregulated hazardous substances include liquid waste, friable, asbestos wastes and combustion wastes.
—Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Dec. 2025
Texture comes into play here, as well, with wispy nests of friable katayifi topping each scallop.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
But there is more: a little way back from the water, knuckle-like boulders of sandstone or some other friable rock sharpen the ambience of a consecrated space.
—Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
The soils are mainly Galestro, a type of very friable clay-schist composed of clay-limestone and sandy loam.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
The process of carefully removing the fossil from its rocky entombment involved freeing each fragment from a matrix of friable sediment using fine tools like dental picks and soft brushes, all while battling gusting sea winds and intermittent rain that threatened to compromise the fragile remains.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
One of the biggest hazards after a fire is friable material, so an Ashbritt personnel keeps the debris wet at all times.
—Uma Raja, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2025
Foods that are rich in seasoning or flavor, like that delectable sweet potato casserole should probably be avoided as should any turkey that is on the bone as these bones are friable and can be easily crushed into sharp shards which can wreak havoc on a GI tract.
—Dr. Devon B. Smith, Baltimore Sun, 21 Nov. 2024
Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Mar. 2026
Those unregulated hazardous substances include liquid waste, friable, asbestos wastes and combustion wastes.
—Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Dec. 2025
Texture comes into play here, as well, with wispy nests of friable katayifi topping each scallop.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
But there is more: a little way back from the water, knuckle-like boulders of sandstone or some other friable rock sharpen the ambience of a consecrated space.
—Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
The soils are mainly Galestro, a type of very friable clay-schist composed of clay-limestone and sandy loam.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
The process of carefully removing the fossil from its rocky entombment involved freeing each fragment from a matrix of friable sediment using fine tools like dental picks and soft brushes, all while battling gusting sea winds and intermittent rain that threatened to compromise the fragile remains.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
One of the biggest hazards after a fire is friable material, so an Ashbritt personnel keeps the debris wet at all times.
—Uma Raja, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2025
Foods that are rich in seasoning or flavor, like that delectable sweet potato casserole should probably be avoided as should any turkey that is on the bone as these bones are friable and can be easily crushed into sharp shards which can wreak havoc on a GI tract.
—Dr. Devon B. Smith, Baltimore Sun, 21 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for friable
Adjective
-
Hit hospital systems and ordinary life starts to feel brittle.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Foote records as Leech, runs the great Peak Oil label, and is general manager of the storied Kranky, while Dickow has amassed a vast catalog of brittle yet voluptuous electronic music as Strategy.—
Daniel Bromfield,
Pitchfork,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Mayer envisioned rocking chairs, crisp linens and tasty dinners.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Thursday is a transitional day, one of those crisp, blue-sky days that require sunglasses and a sweater.—
Greg Porter,
San Francisco Chronicle,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In America, scones are usually triangular, err on the crumbly and dense side, are loaded with mix-ins, and may be savory or sweet.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Made with real fruit, the whole-grain oat bar mixes contain their respective fruit fillings with a crumbly oat topping.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Friable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/friable. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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