scrawl

verb

scrawled; scrawling; scrawls

transitive verb

: to write or draw awkwardly, hastily, or carelessly
scrawled his name

intransitive verb

: to write awkwardly or carelessly
scrawl noun
scrawler noun
scrawly adjective

Examples of scrawl in a Sentence

She scrawled her signature on the receipt. scrawled a quick note, stuck it in their mailbox, and hurried off
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bread crumbs • Props to the hair, makeup, and costuming departments for differentiating Kiki’s Simone from pre-Michaela Simone, who showed up to the island with a scraggly ponytail, a gray button-down, uneven skin, and scrawled tattoos. Caroline Framke, Vulture, 23 May 2025 Listen to this article In the run-up to the 2023 mayoral election in Colorado Springs, a racial slur was scrawled across a Black candidate’s sign and a cross set on fire in front of it. Colleen Slevin, Denver Post, 20 May 2025 But the sentiment behind that particularly memorable piece of graffiti — scrawled near a pile of corpses strung up in a zombie apocalypse — pulses beneath every beat in Bella Ramsey’s wrathful performance. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 12 May 2025 Trump scrawled his signature on an executive order Thursday to revoke the federal funding source to National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service. Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 5 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for scrawl

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of scrawl was in 1612

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scrawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrawl. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

scrawl

verb
: to write or draw awkwardly, hastily, or carelessly : scribble
scrawl noun
scrawly adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on scrawl

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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