scratch someone's back
Definition of scratch someone's back
informal
: to do something that helps someone else but that is often difficult to do or wrong and with the expectation of help in return —usually used in the phrase You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours.
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Word by Word Definitions
: to scrape or dig with the claws or nails
: to rub and tear or mark the surface of with something sharp or jagged
: to scrape or rub lightly (as to relieve itching)
: a mark or injury produced by scratching
: a slight wound
: scrawl, scribble
: arranged or put together with little selection : haphazard
: made as or used for a tentative effort
: made or done by chance and not as intended
: the rear part of the human body especially from the neck to the end of the spine
: the body considered as the wearer of clothes
: capacity for labor, effort, or endurance
: to, toward, or at the rear
: in or into the past : backward in time
: ago
: being at or in the back
: distant from a central or main area
: articulated at or toward the back of the oral passage : formed deep within the mouth
: to support by material or moral assistance
: substantiate
: to assume financial responsibility for
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