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Glite Dictionary
to fray at the edges

to fray at the edges

1 7.2
Gradually becomes weaker and less effective under pressure
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : desgastarse

But civilization, I don't think is yet fraying at the edges.

Examples

  • China is developing a market economy; the US is looking battered and fraying at the edges...

    Blog text (8)

  • However, this is not a weakness, as most retrospective categorizations fray at the edges when an attempt is made to impose structure where none was actually intended by the original authors.

    Academic text (1999)

  • The alliance between the two countries is fraying at the edges due to increasing tensions.

  • As stress levels rose, their friendship started to fray at the edges.

  • The organization has been fraying at the edges since the CEO resigned last year.

Synonyms

to wear thin
vsto fray at the edges
  • Informal
11 6.2

Lose people's trust or patience over time

is a gradual loss of strength under stress rather than general fading over time
to come apart at the seams
vsto fray at the edges
  • Informal
5 7.2

To fall apart or stop working properly after being stable

is gradual weakening under pressure rather than sudden total collapse
weakening
vsto fray at the edges
3.2

A process that makes a person or thing less strong

is specifically used when decline happens under pressure or stress
crumbling
vsto fray at the edges
3.4

A thing that breaks into small pieces and falls apart because of age or lack of care

is about losing effectiveness under pressure, not physical breakdown from neglect

Antonyms

to improve
∞ 1.0

To make something better

to strengthen
327 3.0

To make muscles, relationships, or groups stronger

How Worn

to fall apart
155 2.8
to unravel
38 4.3
to fray at the edges
1 7.2
to strain
87 4.2

Surface Forms

fray at the edges infinitive

Morphology

fray + at + the + edge

The verb 'fray' (to come apart into loose threads) combined with 'at the edges' (at the margins or boundaries) creates a clear metaphor of something wearing away at its margins, so a learner who knows the constituents can plausibly infer the sense of becoming weaker or less effective. Because this meaning depends on a metaphorical transfer from textiles to situations rather than a strictly compositional, literal reading, it is not fully predictable without recognizing the figurative mapping.

Etymology

Fray at the edges comes from the image of a piece of cloth that starts to fray at its edges when it is worn and the threads come loose. Those loose threads make the cloth weaker, so the phrase is used when a situation or group slowly becomes 'weaker' or 'less effective' under pressure.