frayed cuffs.    From Wordnet, Princeton University. 

Verb (used with object) : The argument frayed their nerves.    From Dictionary.com. 

Verb (used without object) : My sweater frayed at the elbows. ,tall grass fraying against my knees.    From Dictionary.com. 

We've got some pictures we want to show you of what would probably best be described as frayed nerves at airports all over the country.    From Wordnik.com.  [CNN Transcript Mar 17, 2007] Reference

Also, check for fire hazards such as frayed electrical wires or flammable materials near heating appliances.    From Wordnik.com.  [WIBW - HomePage - Headlines] Reference

As I happened to be sitting next the driver going to town on the 'bus, I told him my joke about the "frayed" shirts.    From Wordnik.com.  [Diary of a Nobody] Reference

You can see a gap right in the middle from poor alignment as well as the "frayed" plastic from the cut that they didn't sand down.    From Wordnik.com.  [Original Signal - Transmitting Digg] Reference

We become so accustomed to viewing our home that we easily lose touch with the little things that become a bit "frayed" around the edges.    From Wordnik.com.  [xml's Blinklist.com] Reference

America's nerves are frayed and tempers are short.    From Wordnik.com.  [Frayed Nerves, Short Tempers] Reference

So far, so good -- but their safety net has frayed.    From Wordnik.com.  [In The Voters' Pocketbooks] Reference

You'll save time ... and those already frayed holiday nerves.    From Wordnik.com.  [SPENDING: RITE OF RETURN] Reference

I will festoon your frayed lapels with helium-filled balloons.    From Wordnik.com.  [Bone Dust Disco] Reference

You see people all frayed around you, and it makes you uptight.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Power of the Heart] Reference

Inspect for cracked, frayed or broken plugs or loose connections.    From Wordnik.com.  [Winter warm-up: Home heating tips] Reference

In the avant-garde, though, frayed hems are only a starting point.    From Wordnik.com.  [Night Of The Living Dead] Reference

Look for loose or missing bulbs, cracked sockets and frayed wiring.    From Wordnik.com.  [Shining a light on holiday safety] Reference

Then the Mumbai terror attacks that November badly frayed relations.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Road to Kabul Runs Through Kashmir] Reference

The bloodshed further frayed relations between de Klerk and Mandela.    From Wordnik.com.  [High Noon: Mandela Versus De Klerk] Reference

He is moving to repair frayed ties with Ecuador as well as Venezuela.    From Wordnik.com.  [Colombia, Venezuela Restore Diplomatic Relations] Reference

Saudi officials denied the claims, but the accusation frayed relations.    From Wordnik.com.  [Meddle Nettle] Reference

The audience applauded wildly for Margiela's frayed, unraveling styles.    From Wordnik.com.  [Night Of The Living Dead] Reference

But frayed carpets, peeling paint and cracked sidewalks say just the opposite.    From Wordnik.com.  [Increasing Your Home’s Value] Reference

In 1990 the emblems of rebellion that once set teenagers apart have grown frayed.    From Wordnik.com.  [A Much Riskier Passage] Reference

The regime's own post-Mao "bargain" with its people is already dangerously frayed.    From Wordnik.com.  [Apocalypse When] Reference

The frayed relationship between Washington and London seems, for now, to be mended.    From Wordnik.com.  [A Feel-Good Field Trip] Reference

Consumer confidence, a reliable gauge of discretionary spending, has frayed as well.    From Wordnik.com.  [Double-Dip? Let Them Shop at Saks!] Reference

The dog lay on the frayed pillow bed, a knot of fur and skin, in his father's office.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Death of Tarzan] Reference

Now that Clinton's coattails are seriously frayed, many could lose their jobs in 1994.    From Wordnik.com.  [Midterm Mud Bath] Reference

He wore shirts so frayed that legend has it he needed paper clips to hold them together.    From Wordnik.com.  [A Guarded Star] Reference

Delia's, a popular girls 'outfitter, has an off-the-shoulder, frayed-edge sweat shirt for fall.    From Wordnik.com.  [Fashion: It's Cool To Cut In Line] Reference

She snorted at herself in disgust, shoved the phone back into the frayed pocket of her bag.    From Wordnik.com.  [Between lights] Reference

When addressing a room full of supporters, he often has a hand in the pocket of his frayed jeans.    From Wordnik.com.  [No Sen. Bennet in This Race -- It's Just Michael] Reference

A torn and frayed Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) is once again at the endangered center of the story.    From Wordnik.com.  [Further Proof: Toys] Reference

But the last thing Bolten wants is to let the firings drag out, which would only cause more frayed nerves.    From Wordnik.com.  [Bush Pops His Bubble] Reference

Opportunity and prosperity are social ties that bind in good times and get frayed under tough economic conditions.    From Wordnik.com.  [Max Fraad Wolff: We Are Here: The State of the Economy] Reference

Early reports of eight hijacked planes, including four that had been unaccounted for, certainly frayed nerves unnecessarily.    From Wordnik.com.  [Tv Comes Through] Reference

Officials in Tokyo thought the massive allied victory and the ensuing U.S. euphoria would provide a time for frayed nerves to mend.    From Wordnik.com.  [A Case Of Ja-Panic] Reference

For those of you who must do it — and that's 27 million people this year — brace yourselves for massive delays and frayed tempers.    From Wordnik.com.  [America the Unwelcoming] Reference

Cray says this makes for a more reliable machine by eliminating the stuff that used to get bent, frayed and knocked out of place with use.    From Wordnik.com.  [$35 Million Machine: Wires Not Included] Reference