scratched; scratching; scratches
1
: to scrape or dig with the claws or nails
2
: to rub and tear or mark the surface of with something sharp or jagged
3
a
: to scrape or rub lightly (as to relieve itching)
b
: to act on (a desire)
—used with itch
scratch the itch to travel
4
: to scrape together : collect with difficulty or by effort
scratch out a living
5
: to write or draw on a surface
6
a
: to cancel or erase by or as if by drawing a line through
b
: to withdraw (an entry) from competition
8
: to scrape along a rough surface
scratch a match
1
: to use the claws or nails in digging, tearing, or wounding
2
: to scrape or rub oneself lightly (as to relieve itching)
3
: to gather money or make a living by hard work and especially through irregular means and sacrifice
had to scratch and save for college
4
a
: to make a thin grating sound
b
: to produce a rhythmic scratching sound by or as if by moving a phonograph record back and forth under a phonograph needle
5
: to withdraw from a contest or engagement
6
: to make a scratch in billiards or pool
scratcher
noun
1
: a mark or injury produced by scratching
also
: a slight wound
3
: the sound made by scratching
4
: the starting line in a race
5
a
: a test of courage
b
: satisfactory condition, level, or performance
not up to scratch
6
: a contestant whose name is withdrawn
7
: poultry feed (such as mixed grains) scattered on the litter or ground especially to induce birds to exercise
called also scratch feed
8
a
: a shot in billiards or pool that ends a player's turn
specifically
: a shot in pool in which the cue ball falls into the pocket
b
: a shot that scores by chance : fluke
1
: arranged or put together with little selection : haphazard
a scratch team
2
: made as or used for a tentative effort
3
: made or done by chance and not as intended
a scratch shot
4
: having no handicap or allowance
a scratch golfer
5
: made from scratch : made with basic ingredients
a scratch cake
Did you know?
The phrase up to scratch has its origins in the world of sports. In the 18th century, scratch began to be used for a line or mark that served as the starting point in a contest or competition. In order to begin or continue a fight, for example, a pugilist would "come up to the scratch," positioning himself at a line drawn across the prize ring. Up to the scratch was soon being used figuratively of anyone who was ready and able to do something. Over the years, the usage of the phrase has evolved somewhat, but something that is "up to scratch" can still be said to be ready and able in that it is capable of functioning or performing as expected.
Synonyms
Examples of scratch in a Sentence
Verb
Will you scratch my back for me?
Scratching the itch only makes it worse.
The dog scratched its ear.
You shouldn't scratch. It'll just make your itch worse.
Thorns scratched our legs as we climbed through the briars.
Careful, the cat will scratch.
The dog was scratching at the door.
Be careful not to scratch the table.
Someone scratched the paint on my car.
The little boy scratched lines in the dirt with a stick.
Noun
There's a scratch in the paint on the new car!
The table is an antique but it doesn't have any dents or scratches.
I got a scratch on my leg when I climbed the fence.
The only sound in the room during the test was the scratch of pencils on paper.
We don't have the scratch to buy a new car.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Dan Koday, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2023
To clean the outside of a trash can, stick to a microfiber cloth, particularly if it's made of a material that can be easily scratched such as stainless steel.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2023
Pets can make a house a home, but stopping your cats from scratching the furniture isn’t always easy.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 28 Nov. 2023
And that’s just scratching the surface: Valentino, Paco Rabanne, YSL, Viktor&Rolf, and Creed are also up for grabs.
—Shanna Shipin, Glamour, 27 Nov. 2023
And for indoor-only cats, chasing a furry object, gnawing on it, and bringing it to a secure spot may playfully scratch a predatory itch that might otherwise go unsated.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 22 Nov. 2023
Take five minutes to discover the varied, explosive, resonant sounds of percussion instruments, whether struck, shaken, pounded or scratched.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023
Trending That’s also a Hunger Games staple, of course, and this imperfect yet surprising prequel knows that even those who haven’t read the book(s) will want that itch scratched.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2023
Avoid touching or scratching at the affected areas, which worsens symptoms.
—Anthea Levi, Health, 14 Nov. 2023
Esha Chhabra, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
Restarting from scratch, however, many Missouri wineries settled into a niche of producing cheap, sweet wines, as most Americans who could afford to bought European wine, which was increasingly easy and affordable to import by steamship.
—Alex Mayyasi, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023
Get The Recipe 28 of 28 Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies will never disappoint, especially when they're made from scratch.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 28 Nov. 2023
Price at time of publication: $40 The Details: Kit includes: Easy build trays, bag of icing, Kit Kat bars, Smarties, Kit Kat Santa, sprinkles
Making your own gingerbread house from scratch can feel really intimidating, but this Baketivity kit makes the process much more approachable.
—Jessica Booth, Parents, 19 Nov. 2023
AirPods Leather Case Give your Airpods a sleek upgrade with this minimalistic leather case, which matches everything and also keep its protected from marks and scratches.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 16 Nov. 2023
The ergonomic design of this chair provides solid back support, and the plastic material is highly durable against scratches and long-term wear.
—Sanah Faroke, Peoplemag, 16 Nov. 2023
Argentina’s election has quickly become a testing ground for A.I. in campaigns, with the two candidates and their supporters employing the technology to doctor existing images and videos and create others from scratch.
—Lucía Cholakian Herrera, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023
In the book, Li describes her journey falling in love with physics alongside her experience immigrating from Chengdu, China to the U.S. at age 15 and learning English from scratch.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2023
Eric Alt, Popular Science, 20 Jan. 2021
Shop our favorite affordable Amazon gadgets, tools, and wares below: 1 Joseph Joseph Dish Brush With Integrated Sink Rest This curved, non-scratch brush offers thorough cleaning and won’t take up counter space.
—Megan Lasher, Popular Mechanics, 16 Mar. 2023
The same cleaning wisdom broadly applies here—use dish soap, warm water, and a non-scratch sponge.
—Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 13 Feb. 2023
It’s also equipped with an anti-scratch brush roll that’s designed to keep your hardwood free from damage while also being compatible with carpet.
—Nicole Briese, USA TODAY, 10 July 2020
With an anti-fog, anti-scratch, polycarbonate high-density lens, this one is seriously protective — it’s certified for industrial use to protect against things like flying debris and chemical splashes.
—Elizabeth Wallace, CNN Underscored, 9 July 2020
Use ceramic cooktop cleaner with a non-scratch cleaning pad to maintain the cooktop.
—Cassidy Olsen, Good Housekeeping, 20 Jan. 2023
Stock up on specialty tools, like a plastic scraper, scrub brushes and non-scratch scouring pads.
—Maya Pottiger, Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2022
Made of oxford cloth, this waterproof, anti-scratch, breathable cat carrier is both versatile and durable.
—Ysolt Usigan, Woman's Day, 29 Sep. 2022
See More
Verb
Until Christmas Day, get up to 25 percent off select Disney Resort hotels to scratch that Disney Adult — or kid!
—Dan Koday, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2023
To clean the outside of a trash can, stick to a microfiber cloth, particularly if it's made of a material that can be easily scratched such as stainless steel.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2023
Pets can make a house a home, but stopping your cats from scratching the furniture isn’t always easy.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 28 Nov. 2023
And that’s just scratching the surface: Valentino, Paco Rabanne, YSL, Viktor&Rolf, and Creed are also up for grabs.
—Shanna Shipin, Glamour, 27 Nov. 2023
And for indoor-only cats, chasing a furry object, gnawing on it, and bringing it to a secure spot may playfully scratch a predatory itch that might otherwise go unsated.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 22 Nov. 2023
Take five minutes to discover the varied, explosive, resonant sounds of percussion instruments, whether struck, shaken, pounded or scratched.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023
Trending That’s also a Hunger Games staple, of course, and this imperfect yet surprising prequel knows that even those who haven’t read the book(s) will want that itch scratched.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2023
Avoid touching or scratching at the affected areas, which worsens symptoms.
—Anthea Levi, Health, 14 Nov. 2023
Noun
With the guidance and support of Rachel Cantu, who was VP of Supply Chain at Patagonia for 5 years, Leone set out to build a supply chain from scratch for all the materials used in products.
—Esha Chhabra, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
Restarting from scratch, however, many Missouri wineries settled into a niche of producing cheap, sweet wines, as most Americans who could afford to bought European wine, which was increasingly easy and affordable to import by steamship.
—Alex Mayyasi, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023
Get The Recipe 28 of 28 Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies will never disappoint, especially when they're made from scratch.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 28 Nov. 2023
Price at time of publication: $40 The Details: Kit includes: Easy build trays, bag of icing, Kit Kat bars, Smarties, Kit Kat Santa, sprinkles
Making your own gingerbread house from scratch can feel really intimidating, but this Baketivity kit makes the process much more approachable.
—Jessica Booth, Parents, 19 Nov. 2023
AirPods Leather Case Give your Airpods a sleek upgrade with this minimalistic leather case, which matches everything and also keep its protected from marks and scratches.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 16 Nov. 2023
The ergonomic design of this chair provides solid back support, and the plastic material is highly durable against scratches and long-term wear.
—Sanah Faroke, Peoplemag, 16 Nov. 2023
Argentina’s election has quickly become a testing ground for A.I. in campaigns, with the two candidates and their supporters employing the technology to doctor existing images and videos and create others from scratch.
—Lucía Cholakian Herrera, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023
In the book, Li describes her journey falling in love with physics alongside her experience immigrating from Chengdu, China to the U.S. at age 15 and learning English from scratch.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2023
Adjective
The lens also has an anti-scratch coating.
—Eric Alt, Popular Science, 20 Jan. 2021
Shop our favorite affordable Amazon gadgets, tools, and wares below: 1 Joseph Joseph Dish Brush With Integrated Sink Rest This curved, non-scratch brush offers thorough cleaning and won’t take up counter space.
—Megan Lasher, Popular Mechanics, 16 Mar. 2023
The same cleaning wisdom broadly applies here—use dish soap, warm water, and a non-scratch sponge.
—Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 13 Feb. 2023
It’s also equipped with an anti-scratch brush roll that’s designed to keep your hardwood free from damage while also being compatible with carpet.
—Nicole Briese, USA TODAY, 10 July 2020
With an anti-fog, anti-scratch, polycarbonate high-density lens, this one is seriously protective — it’s certified for industrial use to protect against things like flying debris and chemical splashes.
—Elizabeth Wallace, CNN Underscored, 9 July 2020
Use ceramic cooktop cleaner with a non-scratch cleaning pad to maintain the cooktop.
—Cassidy Olsen, Good Housekeeping, 20 Jan. 2023
Stock up on specialty tools, like a plastic scraper, scrub brushes and non-scratch scouring pads.
—Maya Pottiger, Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2022
Made of oxford cloth, this waterproof, anti-scratch, breathable cat carrier is both versatile and durable.
—Ysolt Usigan, Woman's Day, 29 Sep. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scratch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English scracchen, probably blend of scratten to scratch and cracchen to scratch
First Known Use
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of scratch was
in the 15th century
Phrases Containing scratch
Podcast
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
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Dictionary Entries Near scratch
Cite this Entry
“Scratch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scratch. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
scratch
1 of 2 verb1
: to scrape, rub, or injure with or as if with the claws or nails
2
: to act on (a desire)
—used with itch
scratch the itch to travel
3
: to make a living by hard work and saving
4
a
: to cancel or erase by or as if by drawing a line through
b
: to withdraw (an entry) from competition
5
: to write or draw especially hastily or carelessly : scrawl
6
: to scrape or rub oneself lightly especially to relieve itching
7
: to make a thin harsh sound
this pen scratches
scratcher
noun
scratch
2 of 2 noun1
: a mark (as a line) or injury made by scratching
also
: a slight wound
2
: the sound of scratching
3
: the line from which competitors start in a race
4
: satisfactory state or performance
not up to scratch
More from Merriam-Webster on scratch
Nglish: Translation of scratch for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of scratch for Arabic Speakers
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