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 Greder, Twin Cities, 10 Mar. 2025
Belair won the match and had a faceoff with Ripley and Sky at the top of the set, but Belair will now have to deal with Cargill back in the fray.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 2 Mar. 2025
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
This rug tends to fray and isn’t as durable as some other options.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fray
Noun
If 12th-seed Minnesota doesn’t win the conference tournament and nab the automatic qualifier for the NCAA tournament, a new, smaller tournament has entered the fray.
—Verb
Reliving Cal’s death yet again leaves me emotionally frayed.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for fray
Noun
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Kilmer's passing comes after years of public and private health struggles, most notably his long battle with throat cancer.—
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And maybe the downfall is that Lex has decided what's right between those two and which should win out, whereas Superman and Lois are in a constant battle about what is right, so they each get checked by the other.—
Noun
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The clashes are a sign of growing tensions at the Lebanon-Syria border, northeast of the Beqaa valley, where predominantly Shiite Lebanese villages have seen skirmishes with Syrian soldiers in recent weeks.—
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After his skirmish with Diarra, Neal waved his arms to fire up Creighton fans in the sellout crowd.—
Noun
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What To Know The snippet of the brawl seen online does not show how the fight began.—
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The brawl kicked off between the teams during a tense second quarter on Sunday, March 30.—
Verb
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Conversely, poor communication quickly erodes credibility, limiting potential growth.—
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Over time, excessive tilling leads to eroded and diminished topsoil, polluted waterways and ultimately less-vigorous crops and harvests.—
Noun
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The past year hasn’t always been easy for the family, starting with Kentucky’s loss in the first round last March and continuing through the move to Arkansas and the Razorbacks’ struggles early in the season.—
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And for those wondering: Yes, despite her struggles Gay would still love to be a full-time actress.—
Noun
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The order’s provision to outlaw post-Election Day ballot tabulation sets up a clash between Trump and California. County officials are given nearly a month to process ballots and millions of ballots in the state are counted in the days and weeks after an election.—
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Dudek was promoted when his predecessor resigned, in mid-February, following clashes with DOGE staffers who were attempting to access information about Social Security recipients.—
Verb
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However, with the next solar eclipse in North America not until 2029, all eyes will be on the sun—protected by solar eclipse glasses, which must be worn at all times for this event.—
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Others wear sweatshorts and the pirate-like Raiders jerseys of our city’s former football team.—
Noun
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In the co-main event of the fight card, Brandon Grach and Liam Talivaa face off in a heavyweight rematch.—
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Among them is talk show host Wendy Williams, who in March hired the attorney to represent her in her fight against the guardianship imposed on her following a series of health struggles.—
Cite this Entry
“Fray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fray. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
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