as in eroding
to damage or diminish by continued friction
constant rubbing against the rock face has badly frayed our climbing rope
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Recent Examples of fraying
These fraying ties may mark the end of the dream of a global Internet, in which everyone shares the same services.
—
Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 3 Apr. 2025
The fascia is peeling off, roof shingles are fraying, the stairs should be replaced and the electrical system needs an upgrade.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
As the operation in Gaza has escalated, Israel has also hit targets in southern Lebanon and Syria, with a strike on a Hezbollah commander in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday that added strain to the fraying ceasefire agreements that had largely halted fighting in January.
—James MacKenzie, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025
An energetic, violent slice-of-life, the film follows the fraying relationship between small-time gambler Johnny Boy and his best friend, the more responsible Charlie (Harvey Keitel).
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fraying
Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 3 Apr. 2025
The fascia is peeling off, roof shingles are fraying, the stairs should be replaced and the electrical system needs an upgrade.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
As the operation in Gaza has escalated, Israel has also hit targets in southern Lebanon and Syria, with a strike on a Hezbollah commander in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday that added strain to the fraying ceasefire agreements that had largely halted fighting in January.
—James MacKenzie, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025
An energetic, violent slice-of-life, the film follows the fraying relationship between small-time gambler Johnny Boy and his best friend, the more responsible Charlie (Harvey Keitel).
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fraying
Cite this Entry
“Fraying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fraying. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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