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.
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2
as in wild
difficult to manage or control
Security guards were overwhelmed by the fractious crowd at the concert.
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Recent Examples of fractious
Zelensky and Trump have had a fractious relationship at times.
—
Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to scuttle the attempt, but his coalition emerged scathed and fractious.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
In a May 2022 op-ed in the New York Times, Felix laid down the gauntlet with Nike, exposing the fractious negotiations over an extension of her endorsement contract with the company.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 5 June 2025
Iran’s fractious social fabric Iran has a diverse population, including Persians, Azeris, Arabs, Baloch and Kurds.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to scuttle the attempt, but his coalition emerged scathed and fractious.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
In a May 2022 op-ed in the New York Times, Felix laid down the gauntlet with Nike, exposing the fractious negotiations over an extension of her endorsement contract with the company.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 5 June 2025
Iran’s fractious social fabric Iran has a diverse population, including Persians, Azeris, Arabs, Baloch and Kurds.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fractious
Adjective
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Earlier this year, Trump paused weapons shipments to Ukraine after a contentious meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.—
Zachary Folk,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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With billions allocated for new hiring, the scale of ICE's growth could reshape immigration enforcement for years to come and will likely remain at the center of a contentious national debate.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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But when 5,000 Trevally fight back, the hunters become the hunted in one of the ocean’s wildest showdowns.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
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Robert reached with one out in the fifth, legging out the infield single and taking second on a wild throw.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
20 July 2025
Adjective
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Paxton, the controversial state attorney general who survived an impeachment trial last year, is running against long-serving Senator John Cornyn.—
Karlyn Bowman,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
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Netflix's latest Trainwreck documentary revisits the controversial Balloon Boy saga that captivated the nation.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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On Monday, asked about the poll proposal at an unrelated event, Adams was defiant.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
14 July 2025
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Trump's defiant response in Butler, Penn., may have fueled his big Election Day gains among male voters.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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The chancellor is caught between febrile bond markets worried about government debt levels across advanced economies and rebellious Labour lawmakers who recently forced the government to pull back on reforms to welfare spending.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
22 July 2025
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Once Audrey Hepburn was seen in a pair of the prototypical capri pants, everyone wanted to own them, and de Lennart’s hero product was later donned by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor: appreciated for its originally rebellious intentions and modern-woman appeal.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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Iranian experts have long urged successive U.S. administrations to provide strike pay and other forms of aid to restive workers in the Islamic Republic, with a view to improving human rights and causing regime change from within.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2025
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Some of the richest Gulf Arab countries, such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, will worry that the destabilizing effects of a heavy-handed regime change could stir their own sizable and restive Shia Muslim populations.—
Matt Bradley,
NBC news,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Likewise, Elon Musk, one of the world's most effective transmitters of AGI hype, announced safety assurances that cleverly imply a willful or dangerous AI.—
Eric Siegel,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Maya Hernandez was charged with involuntary manslaughter and two counts of willful cruelty to a child in the death on June 29 of the 1-year-old boy and the hospitalization of a 2-year-old who survived.—
Cristian Santana,
NBC news,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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Barbara Attard, a police accountability expert, said meet and confer can last months, but beyond a year is unreasonable.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 July 2025
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His exact demands are unknown but given his status as one of the world’s leading players a range of £250,000 to £300,000 a week is far from unreasonable.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fractious. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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