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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Dan Primack, Axios, 29 Jan. 2025
But well before Trump entered the fray last fall, the merger was drawing fire from minority shareholders.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 8 Feb. 2025
Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Atop all this, Floria is charged with supervising nervous, error-prone student nurse Amelie (Selma) — tempers fray as precious time runs out.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fray
Noun
Catch up quick: Frontier and Spirit agreed to merge in 2022, but JetBlue then entered the fray and signed a $3.8 billion deal to buy Spirit.
—Dan Primack, Axios, 29 Jan. 2025
But well before Trump entered the fray last fall, the merger was drawing fire from minority shareholders.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 8 Feb. 2025
Verb
Ties are certainly frayed, especially after Putin essentially seized the Russia operations of companies including Carlsberg and Danone.
—Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Atop all this, Floria is charged with supervising nervous, error-prone student nurse Amelie (Selma) — tempers fray as precious time runs out.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fray
Noun
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After routing 5-seed Villanova 82-54 in the semifinals on Sunday, the Huskies advance to face No. 23 Creighton for a battle between the top two seeds in the conference title game.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
9 Mar. 2025
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Just last month at the NFL Scouting Combine, GM Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales stressed the importance of battle in the trenches.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Musk’s latest statement marks yet another escalation in the ongoing skirmish.—
Dimitar 'Mix' Mihov,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
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As per an incident report obtained by the Miami Herald, multiple guests eventually joined in the skirmish at Manor Complex entertainment complex in Wilton Manors in the early hours of Jan. 26.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Authorities believe Davis orchestrated the hit with others in the car following a brawl at the MGM Grand casino.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
6 Mar. 2025
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For one thing, Born Again gets Cox in the suit ASAP and cuts to the chase almost as fast with an assassin’s fatal hand and a cop-bar brawl that truly shoots out the lights.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Spinrad said the cuts, especially of researchers who collect data that feeds into storm models, could erode the quality of hurricane forecasts going forward.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
1 Mar. 2025
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Despite creating jobs and potential environmental benefits, chronic mismanagement and escalating costs have eroded public trust, making continued taxpayer support irresponsible.—
Phillip Molnar,
The Mercury News,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Kansas has to do a good job communicating on ball screens — a struggle at various points this season — and force Texas Tech to take tough shots.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
1 Mar. 2025
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At that point, Zelenskyy interjected, bringing up the struggles his country has faced over the last decade, prompting Vance and Trump to shout at the Ukrainian president.—
Molly Nagle,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Chicago Fire April 19: Columbus Crew May 10: Minnesota United May 14: San Jose Earthquakes May 24: Philadelphia Union The good news for out-of-Miami Messi fans is that – so far – there are no direct schedule clashes between the Argentina national team schedule and the Herons’ itinerary.—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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The sun’s clash with Jupiter encourages you to accept a promising career opportunity!—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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For the show Campbell wore a form-fitting leather jacket with a matching bodysuit.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
28 Feb. 2025
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While Cole pitched for the Pirates and Astros before wearing pinstripes, Fried has spent the majority of his professional career in Atlanta’s organization after initially being drafted by the Padres.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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His childhood was turbulent—his parents' frequent fights sometimes turned physical, with his father directing his frustrations at young Gene.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
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Their responses indicate a lengthy fight to come over the budget resolution.—
Sudiksha Kochi,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fray. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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