scratch the/an itch

idiom

chiefly US, informal

: to satisfy a desire or need for something

Sign up for a tour of Asia and scratch the itch to travel.

Examples of scratch the/an itch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some successful military shooters like The Division might periodically scratch the itch, but not since the early days of Battlefield has there been any meaningful alternative to the mindless run-and-gun antics of Black Ops. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2025

Others shared clever ways to scratch the itch of shopping without actually spending any money. —Malaka Gharib, NPR, 7 Aug. 2025

Mountainhead will certainly scratch the itch for Succession fans. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025

Naturepedic Down Pillow $199 $159 Naturepedic If you’re not sold on the side sleeper pillow, Naturepedic carries a down pillow that might scratch the itch. —Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 20 May 2025

Something for almost everybody The Anno games scratch an itch that no other games do, and based on a few hours with a preview build, Anno 117 seems like a promising entry in that unique tradition. —ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025

Don’t: Use Q-Tips You may be tempted to use Q-Tips to scratch an itch or remove earwax. —Katie Mogg, New York Times, 15 May 2025

Gutekunst couldn’t help but scratch the itch to draft a fifth Georgia defender in the last five drafts. —Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025

For bistro set traditionalists, this one should scratch the itch. —Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 7 Apr. 2025