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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in wild
difficult to manage or control
Security guards were overwhelmed by the fractious crowd at the concert.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
As a Shiite-majority nation, Iran has long held fractious and even hostile relationships with Sunni jihadist actors.
—
Jacob Ware, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
As a Shiite-majority nation, Iran has long held fractious and even hostile relationships with Sunni jihadist actors.
—Jacob Ware, Boston Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Amid the fractious national political environment, the Netflix-WBD deal has become a lightning rod for critics.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026
Their journey from a fractious dynamic and rocky road to fraternal camaraderie was rooted in the fact that Shawn grew up in poverty, facing constant adversity, while Jack grew up in a stable household without wants.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Jacob Ware, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
As a Shiite-majority nation, Iran has long held fractious and even hostile relationships with Sunni jihadist actors.
—Jacob Ware, Boston Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Amid the fractious national political environment, the Netflix-WBD deal has become a lightning rod for critics.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026
Their journey from a fractious dynamic and rocky road to fraternal camaraderie was rooted in the fact that Shawn grew up in poverty, facing constant adversity, while Jack grew up in a stable household without wants.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fractious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fractious
Adjective
-
Just getting to this point, with passage out of the House, has been contentious, says Andrew Schmidt, director of governmental affairs for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The contentious exchange did not result in a handshake between the Israeli and Palestinian representatives, nor a photo featuring the two, but instead a plea from Infantino for the two nations to take part in an Under-15 tournament organized by FIFA in the future.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
So much of marketing now that happens on the internet is this wild volume game where people are essentially spamming.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
But even wild gusts couldn’t keep these top acts down at the three-day event, which had people flocking to the Mane Stage to see headliners Cody Johnson (Friday), Lainey Wilson (Saturday) and Post Malone (Sunday).—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Gregory Bovino, the controversial head of aggressive enforcement activities in Chicago and Minneapolis, resigned from the agency.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
But let’s set aside the fact for a moment that a sequel might not include some of Jackson’s biggest hits and would instead focus on a controversial moment in the singer’s life that his estate may be unwilling or unable to explore.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In her first public appearance since leaving Congress, Cherfilus-McCormick struck a defiant tone, framing her situation as a setback rather than an ending.—
WPEC Staff,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
-
While Metcalf’s Linda adopts a facade of stoicism to shield her family from the grief erupting in her, Abbott’s Biff is forced to reveal the broken man behind the defiant veneer.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The film explores the iconic partnership between Fonteyn, a 42-year-old prima ballerina and Britain’s most famous dancer, and Rudolf Nureyev, the 23-year-old rebellious Soviet defector who became her partner on stage (and, it was rumored, off it as well).—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
-
When the skyscraper where Rayburn and his family lives is destroyed in an explosion, Creasy attempts to regain his military prowess in his determination to protect Rayburn’s rebellious teen daughter Poe (Billie Boullet), who has been targeted by the terrorists.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Starmer will face restive lawmakers in Parliament on Monday to fight for his job after the explosive revelation that Mandelson was appointed ambassador to the United States despite failing security checks.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Remarks are addressed to a restive crowd.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead, the bill calls for the FBI to submit monthly explanations for reviews of Americans' information to an oversight official as well as criminal penalties for willful abuse, among other tweaks.—
Eric McDaniel,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Yet spiritually agnostic voters may take comfort in Talarico’s rejection of Paxton’s willful mix of Church and state.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Gill's decision came after Scott's lawyer requested to suspend the trial on the grounds that the grandparents had not met the state statute requiring them to prove Scott's decision to keep them from seeing Laila was unreasonable.—
Juliet Pennington,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Keirans, 59, argued the 144-month prison term was unreasonable and that special conditions of supervised release were improper.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fractious. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
