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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wild
difficult to manage or control
Security guards were overwhelmed by the fractious crowd at the concert.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 fractious
For those who, against all evidence to the contrary, dismiss these ambitions as mere delusions, that's exactly what the British Empire—the mightiest global force of its day—said when 13 fractious colonies issued the Declaration of Independence almost 250 years ago this July.
—
John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
The American military presence in Asia is seen by allies as a critical counterbalance in a fractious region where China has been rapidly expanding its military might and a belligerent North Korea has been empowered by closer ties with Russia.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
Things aren’t so fractious now, but generally players still like to keep their distance from one another, typically spending their time at tournaments with their entourages.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Alliances are tested and fractious rebels rarely see eye-to-eye.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fractious
John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
The American military presence in Asia is seen by allies as a critical counterbalance in a fractious region where China has been rapidly expanding its military might and a belligerent North Korea has been empowered by closer ties with Russia.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
Things aren’t so fractious now, but generally players still like to keep their distance from one another, typically spending their time at tournaments with their entourages.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Alliances are tested and fractious rebels rarely see eye-to-eye.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fractious
Adjective
-
This is a flawed sin; trying to make something happen in a contentious area with a bunch of people who had their own history.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2025
-
Last week, America welcomed the first group of South African Afrikaans refugees to the country, a move which has proved contentious.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 May 2025
Adjective
-
Iñárritu also used his Cannes visit as a soft launch for his next wild experiment, with Tom Cruise.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
21 May 2025
-
From immersive fine dining in an aquarium to ziplining at the UAE’s highest peak, these 10 travel experiences showcase the country’s wild beauty, cultural richness and knack for world-class luxury for both first-time and frequent visitors.—
Natasha Amar,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
Customer interest surged after a (controversial) quantum supremacy claim and Jülich sale.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
-
Newsrooms fracture over publishing controversial views.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
The defiant message comes after weeks of intense news coverage and a Republican House committee investigation into Hope Florida and its nonprofit charity arm, the Hope Florida Foundation.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2025
-
For weeks, Chinese officials had projected a defiant position, demanding the US remove all tariffs on China before agreeing to come to the negotiation table.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
These two regions are no longer promising New World upstarts or rebellious outposts of Bordeaux.—
Jessica Dupuy,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Baldwin feels that such a response in the face of violence has to be a posture, an outright lie or a willful evasiveness.—
Andrew Moore,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
-
Reyes-Estrada was booked on suspicion of murder and willful harm and injury to a child likely to produce great bodily injury and is being held without bail, according to the news release.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
In a unanimous opinion, the justices said courts can look beyond the exact moment a police officer is using deadly force to determine if the force was unreasonable.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
-
Given the high degree of regulation and data privacy concerns within our industry, this isn’t an unreasonable question, to say nothing of the cost of bespoke software solutions.—
Tom Hughes,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fractious. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share