Thesaurus results for FRAYING

fraying

verb

Definition of fraying

present participle of fray

as in eroding

to damage or diminish by continued friction constant rubbing against the rock face has badly frayed our climbing rope

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of fraying New York was broke, fraying at the edges and dangerous in ways that became part of its mythology. — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 13 June 2026 Repairing the country’s fraying social ties will be a challenge. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 26 May 2026 The commercial-grade knitted fabric is designed to resist tearing and fraying. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 10 June 2026 And with the existing safety net of services fraying as never before, our work is more important than ever. — Deidre Johnson, Denver Post, 25 May 2026 And that net of community health workers who serve as links between families and this lifesaving treatment is fraying. — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 13 June 2026 For the last few years, he’s been mired in a complex web of mounting fees and permit nightmares, getting punted back and forth between city departments like a fraying football. — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026 Israel and Iran also traded attacks in recent days, further threatening a fraying ceasefire. — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 8 June 2026 The same fear of a fraying dollar system is driving Russia and others toward bitcoin and pushing Wall Street to treat which reserve asset wins as a live question. — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fraying

Verb

But Koppl traced a distinctly American lineage through a chain of precedents dating back more than 50 years, each one further eroding the market discipline that profit-and-loss accountability is supposed to provide.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 July 2026
McGraw Hill Higher Education cites a study by Gerlich (2025) at SBS Swiss Business School that reveals an over-reliance on AI tools is eroding critical thinking abilities.

— Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of eroding

Verb

Doctors Without Borders health workers wearing personal protective equipment move through the isolated red zone to monitor patients, provide medical care and ensure sanitation at the Ebola Treatment Center in Munigi in Congo on June 2, 2026.

— Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 6 July 2026
Rodríguez Castro can be seen wearing a New York Yankees shirt, moving suggestively to driving percussive beats, punctuated by catchy, syncopated vocals.

— Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026

Definition of wearing

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frayed

fraying

frays

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“Fraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fraying. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of fraying

verb

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