scathe 1 of 2

verb

ˈskāt͟h How to pronounce scathe (audio)
Definition of scathenext
as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly newspaper cartoonists scathed the lecherous governor with a series of cruel caricatures

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

scathe

2 of 2

noun

as in harm

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of scathe
Verb
Outsider art in every sense of the word, and laden with scathing political and social commentary, Purifoy’s installations morph and change in the elements. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026 But White also mentioned the league’s depth, which will likely scathe even the best teams. — Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026 With tight polls, and without any one candidate being able to boast about the president's endorsement, the three Republicans have tried to boost their candidacies by resorting to scathing personal attacks. — Emily Chang, ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026 Victoria's son, Brooklyn, called out the pop star and David Beckham in a series of scathing Instagram stories. — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 26 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scathe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scathe
  1. attack
  2. harm
  3. scold
  4. burn
  5. slam
  6. scald
  7. insult
  8. scar
Verb
  • Hawley said the majority of conflicts between humans and coyotes occurs when a pet owner tries to save their pet from an attacking coyote.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Running as the populist candidate, Brown has repeatedly attacked Husted as the face of data centers in the state and pushed to take on Silicon Valley if elected to office again.
    — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of attack
Noun
  • Over time bottles break down into micro and nanoplastics, Baechler noted, and potentially leach toxic chemicals known to cause harm into the water.
    — Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026
  • But leadership without self-awareness can cause tremendous harm.
    — Paula Ferrada, Forbes.com, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of harm
Verb
  • Huang is known to be a difficult and exacting boss with a track record of publicly scolding staff.
    — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2026
  • In 2025, Foxx scolded a patron for flinging an object onstage during rapper GloRilla’s performance at a previous SKVLK Fest.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of scold
Noun
  • Its transparent appearance could also help researchers observe how fuel moves and burns.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Behind the scenes, Bass tangled with Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who represented the burn area, over messaging and communications.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of burn
Verb
  • Over the summer, Raman slammed Bass for pausing a bike lane and street safety improvement project near two cemeteries along Forest Lawn Drive that had come under fire by some in Raman’s district.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The great danger, though, and one that fully manifests here, is that speechifying like Claire’s slams up against the fourth wall and ricochets back at her.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of slam
Noun
  • Alcohol flows, rivalries scald, and humiliations pile up—a few prove transformative, while the rest are swallowed like medicine.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • If a peace lily’s leaves turn brown, this may be sun scald due to too much sun.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of scald
Verb
  • Under Milei and Lula, Argentina and Brazil have had a rocky relationship, which took a decisive turn for the worse in July when Brazil recalled its ambassador to Argentina after Milei insulted Brazilian officials while in the country.
    — Eléonore Hughes, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Calling this all-wheel-drive EX-L a dog would insult geriatric, three-legged canines everywhere.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of insult
Noun
  • Filming ‘Roar’ Filming her mother and stepfather’s passion project, Roar, left the young actress with a scar after she was slashed by a lioness on set.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 6 Nov. 2026
  • So the county is now stepping in, or at least trying to, with its New Roots Eaton Canyon Pilot Program, to test the soil for those living in the burn scar.
    — Joy Benedict, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of scar

Browse Nearby Words

scat
scathe
scathed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scathe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scathe. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All