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as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound
her voice was scratchy from a cold
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scratchy
By Kathleen Felton For The Washington Post Woke up to a sore, scratchy throat?
—
The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025
Others wait until early symptoms, like a scratchy throat or fatigue, before starting.
—Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 27 Dec. 2025
If your current towels are limp, scratchy, or just plain uninspired, Quince’s Turkish Classic Bath towels are an instant bathroom upgrade.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 26 Dec. 2025
Wool can sometimes be rough or scratchy, but this sweater is super soft and breathable, so we’re tempted to buy more in other colors.
—Kevin Gray, Travel + Leisure, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scratchy
The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025
Others wait until early symptoms, like a scratchy throat or fatigue, before starting.
—Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 27 Dec. 2025
If your current towels are limp, scratchy, or just plain uninspired, Quince’s Turkish Classic Bath towels are an instant bathroom upgrade.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 26 Dec. 2025
Wool can sometimes be rough or scratchy, but this sweater is super soft and breathable, so we’re tempted to buy more in other colors.
—Kevin Gray, Travel + Leisure, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scratchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratchy
Adjective
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Similarly, George Crumb’s 1970 Black Angels, composed in response to the Vietnam War, includes jagged marks that approximate the sound of helicopters.—
Olivia Giovetti,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Giles Deacon blue and green jagged stripe) as a base option.—
Stephanie Sporn,
Vogue,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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It’s further dragged down by far too many irritating genre tropes to count.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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An irritating product or excessive use of active ingredients can quickly push skin into a state of hypersensitivity.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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One of them, fist raised to the sky, let out a long yell, the hoarse shout of a gold panner.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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November 17, 2025 What To Know During an Oval Office meeting focused primarily on preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Trump sounded hoarse when speaking with reporters and officials.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Kikuchi, for her part, imbues the character with dimensions by turns gentle and thorny, but Haru’s unwillingness to meaningfully confront her loss is a blind spot that ends up applied to the story as a whole.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
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The procedure has emerged as the subject of ethical debate among medical experts, including over the thorny issue of consent.—
Brian Brant,
PEOPLE,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Approved by The Boss himself, the live-music and storytelling show finds Azaria slipping into his best Springsteen guise for a night of gruff tales and greatest hits.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
24 Dec. 2025
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The gory skit ends with the gruff older man rushing through the door to announce he’s made amends with his son, only to have his head sliced off by the flying chainsaw.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
21 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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But the ones that do get rewarded with a deep, meditative little cocktail, friendlier than a Toronto but still prickly with bitterness and stout with proof, a cocktail worth hunkering down with on these dark and interminable nights of January.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
3 Jan. 2026
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The Devil’s Rope Museum, housed inside what was once a brassiere factory, holds miles of the prickly wire, plus a section devoted to Route 66.—
Pam LeBlanc,
Southern Living,
3 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The team can help plan reindeer and husky rides, reindeer farm visits, snowmobiles tours across the area’s fells and taiga forests, or Aurora-chasing tours, guided by local experts.—
Dobrina Zhekova,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Dec. 2025
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Something had pulled it out of the tree, breaking off the husky limb on which it was tied.—
William J. McRae,
Outdoor Life,
26 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scratchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratchy. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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