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 scraggy Fauja Singh was 89, thin as a reed, and had a scraggy beard that nearly reached his chest. Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 20 July 2025 Three years later, the follow-up, Caroline 2, expands outward in every direction, pairing scraggy, strummed chorales with heart-on-sleeve mantras and distorted furore. Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 30 May 2025 Airless Spaces might easily be read as the scraggy roman à clef of an ex-revolutionary, defined by its lack of engagement with the former work of its author. Audrey Wollen, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025 From scraggy shores beyond the Golden Gate to miles-long coastline in Los Angeles County to the bohemian charm of Laguna, this list of the best beaches in California might just convince you that the West Coast really is the best one, indeed. Katie Kiefner, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2025 A lot of the music that came out of the Lower East Side was very scraggy. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scraggy
Adjective
  • Most of the surface is made up of a fine dust with jagged edges because it hasn’t been weathered by wind or water.
    Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Against all of this allegedly heady stuff, the score—by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross—intentionally jars us from encroaching drowsiness with chortling woodwinds and shardlike piano chords that are the aural equivalent of jagged Plexiglass off-cuts.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Even when Clark returned, her performance was uneven.
    Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • This helps smooth out fingerprints or uneven spots, giving the frame a more professional look.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The original Toxic Avenger was made for chump change and wore its low-budget nature proudly, while this version, which was shot in Bulgaria in 2021 and involves both practical and digital effects, tries to evoke that ragged aesthetic while working with more resources.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Frost is, by reputation, perhaps the foremost poet of rural, non-coastal New England — of birches and apple trees, of forests blanketed in snow, of pastures sliced by ragged stone walls, and of the flinty, self-sufficient kind of temperament that flourishes in those places.
    A.O. Scott, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The Marswalker has rugged wheels in each corner for gripping the steps, as well as a long antenna to sense angles and heights.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The two largest rams were lying down, seemingly enjoying their cuds and the panorama of Bear Canyon and the rugged San Andres Mountains that stretched beyond them.
    Tim Kelly, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • With a long, scraggly hairdo and beard, Frost's Hagrid wore corduroy pants and a few layers of jackets under a large coat.
    Jack Smart, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
  • His scraggly beard seems grown to be wrenched.
    Roy Scranton August 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Homers reheat Royals’ cold offense The Royals’ offense has hit another rough patch.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Additionally, avoid using any pads or scrubbers with a rough surface that could damage the cabinet finish.
    Heather Bien, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • For her, the loss of $40 isn’t the real issue, but rather the broken trust and the strange turn the situation has taken.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
  • As the family unravels, Genevieve must summon the courage to save her broken family – and herself – but not without a cost.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scraggy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scraggy. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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