1
as in contentious
given to disagreement or irritation
At the end of what was a fractious campaign, the two former rivals were surprisingly able to settle some of their differences and work together.
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2
as in wild
difficult to manage or control
Security guards were overwhelmed by the fractious crowd at the concert.
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Recent Examples of fractious
Their family life appeared to become increasingly fractious.
—
Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
Rifts on Domestic Policy Bill: President Trump pressured House Republicans to unify around a wide-ranging bill to deliver his domestic agenda, making a visit to Capitol Hill to urge his fractious members, lead by Representative Chip Roy, to overcome divisions that could sink the package.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
At Marquette, for example, Williams had a fractious relationship with athletic director Larry Williams, who suspended him for a Big East game and fired one of his top assistants as punishment for a recruiting violation.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2025
By Erik Wasson and Emily Birnbaum, Bloomberg House Republicans’ release of the tax provisions in their massive fiscal bill provides a crucial initial reading of what party leaders think could pass, culminating weeks of intense negotiations among fractious GOP lawmakers.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
Rifts on Domestic Policy Bill: President Trump pressured House Republicans to unify around a wide-ranging bill to deliver his domestic agenda, making a visit to Capitol Hill to urge his fractious members, lead by Representative Chip Roy, to overcome divisions that could sink the package.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
At Marquette, for example, Williams had a fractious relationship with athletic director Larry Williams, who suspended him for a Big East game and fired one of his top assistants as punishment for a recruiting violation.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2025
By Erik Wasson and Emily Birnbaum, Bloomberg House Republicans’ release of the tax provisions in their massive fiscal bill provides a crucial initial reading of what party leaders think could pass, culminating weeks of intense negotiations among fractious GOP lawmakers.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fractious
Adjective
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This public WiFi hijacking threat is almost as contentious as juice-jacking amongst cyber experts.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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In that same post, Swift highlighted her contentious history with Braun, largely via his work with her longtime foe, Kanye West.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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This was still wild country, and Fuller set off with the express purpose of producing a book about her journey.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
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About 90% of wild flowering plants and 75% of food crops around the world depend on pollination to produce fruits and seeds, according to the National Park Service.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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That result is not at all controversial to economists, who assume that most of the cost of tariffs is passed on to the consumer.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2025
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The appearance, and his latest announcement, appear to clear the way for the controversial deal at a time that long-time allies Japan and the United States find themselves in the middle of a trade war.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Bowser’s shifting response on immigration matters is one of a number of ways the mayor, a leading figure in the Democratic resistance during Trump’s first term, is now striking a less defiant tone.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
28 May 2025
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Moxley took out Nightingale to massive heat, and Omega hit a snap-dragon suplex on a defiant Marina Shafir.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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These two regions are no longer promising New World upstarts or rebellious outposts of Bordeaux.—
Jessica Dupuy,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
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Meanwhile, Paul finds himself in a work crisis that puts the lifestyle of Julie and their rebellious son Russ (Simon Webster) in jeopardy, leading Julie back to the dopey sweetness of Carey.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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At least six people, including four schoolchildren, were killed when a bomb hit a school bus in Pakistan’s restive southwestern Balochistan Province on Wednesday morning, officials said, the latest outbreak of violence in a region plagued by separatist insurgency and militancy.—
Zia ur-Rehman,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
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Extending Trump’s tax cuts and fulfilling his campaign trail promises are a top priority for Republican lawmakers, who are facing pressure to deliver economic relief to restive voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.—
Sylvan Lane,
The Hill,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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Grading for equity amounts to willful and moralized deception, including self-deception.—
The Editors,
National Review,
29 May 2025
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Like it or not, businesses and thought leaders operate in an information ecosystem where willful lies and concocted conspiracies are amplified by algorithms.—
Rhea Wessel,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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At this juncture, a 10-7 regular season record isn’t unreasonable.—
Charley Walters,
Twin Cities,
25 May 2025
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Are my feelings unreasonable? – Mother-of-the-Groom Gloom Dear Mother: Your feelings are completely reasonable.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fractious. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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