as in tattered
worn or torn into or as if into rags
she wore a beloved but badly frayed flannel shirt
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in eroded
to damage or diminish by continued friction
constant rubbing against the rock face has badly frayed our climbing rope
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of frayed
Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2023
Adjective
After years of hostile and frayed relations, Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to reestablish diplomatic ties and reopen mutual embassies – a deal reportedly brokered by China that has raised eyebrows across the globe.
—Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frayed
Adjective
-
The other traditional party, the Liberal Party, has splintered between those who remain loyal to Zelaya and those who led the coup, including Mauricio Villeda, the presidential candidate who leads a tattered vestige of his party.—
Dana Frank,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Nov. 2013
-
What if standing up to Trump is the very thing that saves the Liberal Party, and Trudeau’s tattered legacy?—
Talib Visram,
TIME,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The host and journalist Garrett Graff, himself a gun owner, contextualizes the past quarter century of mass shootings by laying out the political and legislative maneuvers that have eroded gun-control laws over the previous 50 years.—
Marnie Shure,
The Atlantic,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Currents flowing over an area that was eroded long ago by a glacier sweep sediment away, keeping the ancient terrain visible.—
Ashley Balzer Vigil,
Ars Technica,
21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Doncic had a ragged shooting night, making 6 of 17 field goal attempts and 1 for 7 from 3-point range.—
Jim Alexander,
Orange County Register,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Put all those elements together and Spurs are suddenly a very different prospect from the exhausted, ragged group that trudged from game to game not very long ago.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
The Athletic,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Gray and faded whiskers may be changed to their natural color and even brown or black by using Buckingham dye – try it.—
Contributed Content,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Groom indoor foliage to remove old leaves, faded flowers and declining portions.—
Tom MacCubbin,
Orlando Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frayed. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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