scratch

verb

\ ˈskrach

scratched; scratching; scratches

Definition of scratch

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

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

3a : 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

6a : to cancel or erase by or as if by drawing a line through

b : to withdraw (an entry) from competition

7 : scribble, scrawl

8 : to scrape along a rough surface scratch a match

intransitive verb

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

4a : 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

scratch one's back

: to accommodate with a favor especially in expectation of like return

scratch one's head

: to be or become confused or perplexed

scratch the surface

: to make a modest effort or start

scratch

noun

Definition of scratch (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : a mark or injury produced by scratching also : a slight wound

2 : scrawl, scribble

3 : the sound made by scratching

4 : the starting line in a race

5a : 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6 : a contestant whose name is withdrawn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

8a : 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

9 slang : money, funds

from scratch

1 : from a point at which nothing has been done ahead of time build a school system from scratch

2 : without using a prepared mixture of ingredients bake a cake from scratch

scratch

adjective

Definition of scratch (Entry 3 of 3)

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

Other Words from scratch Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about scratch

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Synonyms for scratch

Synonyms: Verb

abrade, graze, scrape, scuff

Synonyms: Noun

creak, grind, jar, rasp, scrape

Did You Know?

Noun

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.

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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But these finds barely scratch the surface of what lies below—studies estimate that less than 1 percent of shipwrecks have even been explored. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "This Old Shipwreck Transformed Into a Gorgeous Reef," 27 Dec. 2018 That said, this barely scratches the surface of the rules and traditions that the royal family must follow. — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "Will Meghan Markle And Prince Harry’s Baby Be Born At Home? Plus, Other Bizarre Royal Birthing Rules," 15 Oct. 2018 Sure, the selection might be somewhat more limited, and new releases wouldn’t get there as quickly, and sometimes the DVDs or CDs would be scratched and difficult to play. — Kim Komando, Fox News, "11 amazing perks you get from your local library you never knew before now," 25 Aug. 2018 If your pet is bitten or scratched by a wild animal, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible. — Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan health officials see uptick in bats with rabies," 3 July 2018 In January, 6-year-old Ryker Roque of Eustis, who was curious about animals, died at an Orlando hospital after contracting rabies when he was bitten or scratched by a sick bat that his father, Henry, brought home from work. — Stephen Hudak, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Bats in your attic? Boot them out now before you can't when bat maternity season hits," 7 Apr. 2018 He and his wife, Nina, had scraped and scratched and clawed their way back. — Robert King, Indianapolis Star, "Laid off from Rexnord, once-bitter worker settles into a 'new norm'," 9 Feb. 2018 Paint color affecting tone is what Billy Corgan critics are scratching their heads over. — Henry Robertson, Popular Mechanics, "Can Guitar Paint Affect Your Tone?," 31 Dec. 2018 Wet the silver and apply the cleaner with a soft, lint-free cloth (not paper towels, which can scratch). — Lauren Smith, Good Housekeeping, "How to Clean Silver and Prevent Tarnish," 20 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

My parents started from scratch: new languages, new life, new everything. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Who Is Blanca Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Mom?," 31 Jan. 2019 Indeed, no engine in production could meet the specifications Aston laid out for the Valkyrie, so the automaker hired Cosworth, the famous British engineering firm that specializes in high-performance and racing engines, to build one from scratch. — Matthew Jancer, Popular Mechanics, "Pride of the Valkyries," 29 Jan. 2019 And that's great, because making beans from scratch gives you total control over what's in your beans. — Audrey Bruno, SELF, "15 Instant Pot Recipes That Use Those Dried Beans in Your Pantry," 9 Jan. 2019 As the Journal’s Eric Bellman has reported, Amazon is building an extensive logistics network from scratch to reach rural customers. — Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, "Politics May Trip Up Amazon and Walmart in India," 10 Jan. 2019 Both varieties of our Cauliflower Pizza Crust are vegan* and made with real, simple ingredients and offer incredible convenience – none of the prep work or cleanup that comes with making a cauliflower crust from scratch. — Good Housekeeping, "Introducing NEW Green Giant™ Cauliflower Pizza Crust," 11 Dec. 2018 The recipes and photography are inspirational but not at all intimidating, and while there are new ideas and fun flavor combinations, absent are the 16-page treatises on how to construct a towering croquembouche or make croissants from scratch. — Margaux Laskey, The Seattle Times, "Wrap up one of these sweet cookbooks for the home bakers in your life," 11 Dec. 2018 Unlike Android, Fuchsia is built entirely from scratch using a kernel called Zircon. — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, "Google bridges Android and iOS development with Flutter 1.0," 4 Dec. 2018 That puts Quest into a bit of a weird position, basically building a platform from scratch all over again. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "The $399 Oculus Quest is a premium VR headset with no wires—and no PC required," 26 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The sessions are aimed at ages 3-10, but what adult doesn’t love scratch art? (610-388-8382, brandywine.org) Shore Baby Parades (Stone Harbor, July 9; Wildwood, Aug. 1; Cape May, Aug. 3; Ocean City, Aug. 9). — Lauren Mccutcheon, Philly.com, "Where to take your kids in Philadelphia this summer," 6 June 2018 In spring 2016, Kornmeyer ran the Scratch pop-up restaurant in Irvington in hopes of finding a permanent location. — Liz Biro, Indianapolis Star, "These are all the Indianapolis restaurant closings," 13 July 2017 The TechMatte screen protectors were extremely scratch-resilient compared to others, including protectors that cost more than $40. — Brian X. Chen, New York Times, "Reality Check: What Does, and Doesn’t, Protect Your Smartphone," 24 May 2017 Guinness isn't owned by megabrewer AB InBev, but it is run by multi-national beverage company Diageo (also the world's largest whiskey producer), so scratch independence. — Matt Allyn, Popular Mechanics, "Guinness Is Opening an American Brewery and This Is Why it Matters," 31 Jan. 2017 The TechMatte screen protectors were extremely scratch-resilient compared to others, including protectors that cost more than $40. — Brian X. Chen, The Seattle Times, "What does, and doesn’t, protect your smartphone," 2 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scratch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.