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
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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
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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
Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 May 2025
Managing to directly stay out the Lively-Baldoni fray (though not the tabloids’ speculations of the state of Lively-Swift friendship) until recently, the controversy adverse Swift was quick to slap down the subpoena Baldoni’s team served on her at the beginning of this month.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 May 2025
Shannon Carroll, Quartz, 23 May 2025
China’s trump card: rare earths There are signs that the Beijing-Washington détente is already fraying.
—Grady McGregor, New York Times, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fray
Noun
Yet three years before Enzo joined the competitive fray under his own surname, the Maserati brothers banded together to enter their Tipo 26 in the 1926 Targa Florio endurance test.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 May 2025
Managing to directly stay out the Lively-Baldoni fray (though not the tabloids’ speculations of the state of Lively-Swift friendship) until recently, the controversy adverse Swift was quick to slap down the subpoena Baldoni’s team served on her at the beginning of this month.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 May 2025
Verb
Business news roundup Ties between the two governments have been fraying amid tariffs, tech restrictions, and growing talk of economic decoupling.
—Shannon Carroll, Quartz, 23 May 2025
China’s trump card: rare earths There are signs that the Beijing-Washington détente is already fraying.
—Grady McGregor, New York Times, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fray
Noun
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Recently, a German court quietly ended a landmark legal battle that had spanned nearly a decade.—
Monica Sanders,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
-
Fires and recovery Crews battle fire burning in Pala, evacuations underway in northern San Diego County.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
Noun
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Nuñez warned that more skirmishes could occur on Sunday as PSG will parade on the Champs-Élysées before celebrating the title with their fans at the Parc des Princes stadium.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
1 June 2025
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Thailand and Cambodia have a long history of land disputes, though Thailand said after the short skirmish that the situation had been resolved.—
DAVID RISING,
Arkansas Online,
31 May 2025
Noun
-
Authorities attempted to limit the violence on the Seaside Heights boardwalk over the holiday weekend by imposing a 10 p.m. curfew on unaccompanied minors, but the brawls continued anyway, WABC reported.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
26 May 2025
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No one could agree on whether the brawl of as many as nine young men was limited to fists or if its participants were also kicking and stomping.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 May 2025
Verb
-
Maryland’s coastlines are eroding at an alarming rate.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
5 June 2025
-
The persistent issue of greenwashing, where investments are promoted as sustainable without verifiable environmental benefits, has eroded trust and slowed market development.—
Edoardo Francesco Sabatino,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
Spade's death on June 5, 2018, stunned the fashion world, highlighting the silent struggles behind one of the industry's biggest names and, along with the death of Anthony Bourdain three days later, sparked a broader conversation about mental health amidst fame and success.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
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Goldberg emphasized the struggle to balance his warrior mentality with his body's current limitations, especially during Muay Thai training.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
Boys lacrosse In a wild Div. 4 round of 16 clash, host Littleton received a goal from Zach Milner with five seconds remaining to list the Tigers to a thrilling 13-12 victory over host Lynnfield.—
Brian Roach,
Boston Herald,
6 June 2025
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This clash has had tangible repercussions: Tesla’s stock experienced a significant drop, erasing over $150 billion in market value, while Trump Media saw a decline of approximately $500 million.—
Brent Gleeson,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Sienna, 8, wore her hair in adorable pigtails while Ciara wore a middle part with loose curls pulled back.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
4 June 2025
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One Amazon reviewer wore them during a trip to Italy and said their feet felt great after being on them all day in the heat.—
Rylee Johnston,
Travel + Leisure,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Fernandez’s defense attorney said a fight had broken out, and the dad ran across the street to check it out when his son ran after him and was hit.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2025
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This is not the first time a fight has broken out at a Disney park.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fray. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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