scrap 1 of 4

Definition of scrapnext
1
as in remainder
an unused or unwanted piece or item typically of small size or value only a scrap of silk was left on the sewing table after they had finished the project

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4

scrap

2 of 4

noun (2)

scrap

3 of 4

verb (1)

scrap

4 of 4

verb (2)

Synonym Chooser

How is the word scrap different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of scrap are cast, discard, junk, shed, and slough. While all these words mean "to get rid of," scrap and junk imply throwing away or breaking up as worthless in existent form.

scrap all the old ways
would junk our educational system

When can cast be used instead of scrap?

In some situations, the words cast and scrap are roughly equivalent. However, cast, especially when used with off, away, or out, implies a forceful rejection or repudiation.

cast off her friends

When could discard be used to replace scrap?

While the synonyms discard and scrap are close in meaning, discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless.

discard old clothes

How are the words shed and slough related as synonyms of scrap?

Shed and slough imply a throwing off of something both useless and encumbering and often suggest a consequent renewal of vitality or luster.

shed a bad habit
finally sloughed off the depression

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 scrap
Noun
Dig 3-foot-deep melon pits in your garden, fill the pits with compost, food scraps, or other organic debris, add a few inches of soil on top, plant watermelon seeds 1 inch deep, and water deeply. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 May 2026 It had been crowded, competitive, fighting his brothers and sisters to nestle at the center, for the last scraps of flesh, for the fallen fruit. Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
Verb
The project has faced elevated scrutiny in recent months after Cal OES decided to scrap the design that was initially built, at significant cost to taxpayers, because of challenges posed by the regional design. William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026 That was supposed to go beneath Wilshire but that extended route was scrapped. Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for scrap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrap
Noun
  • Perhaps even a rag-tag group of remainders can put a scare into San Antonio.
    Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 1 May 2026
  • The best-case scenario would be for the Lakers’ remainders to extend the best-of-seven series with the Rockets long enough for Doncic and Reaves to rejoin LeBron James in that Big Three, either at the end of this series or the start of the next one.
    Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • On a spacecraft, this could not only puncture windows but also lead to internal spallation, where fragments break off inside the cabin.
    Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 May 2026
  • When her skeletal remains were discovered in February 2023, investigators determined, based on the fact that no clothing fragments were found near her remains, that Morales’s body had been left there naked.
    Mason Leath, ABC News, 8 May 2026
Noun
  • The reward for doing business without a speck of conscience is potentially billions.
    Scott Tobias, Vulture, 10 May 2026
  • All morning extra-sized barges loaded up passengers from the Giardini, scooted around the Arsenale, past the famous glass-blowing island of Murano, and then approached the Island of San Giacomo—a tiny speck on a map, but quite formidable in person.
    Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 8 May 2026
Noun
  • Secure garbage and recycling bags.
    Barbara Bellesi Zito, Southern Living, 8 May 2026
  • Investigators said nearly 6,500 pets were promised a proper burial by Vereb, but instead their bodies were dumped in landfills or left in leaking garbage bags.
    Meghan Schiller, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Noun
  • The dispute has also been tied to retention, with discontent feeding concerns that talent may leave for SK Hynix, Samsung’s aggressive memory rival.
    Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
  • There is no formal system for resolving disputes over impressions, and performers often avoid escalating them publicly — Hammond among them.
    Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • But with a lot of hydration, proper nutrition, and Parks and Recreation rewatches in her down time, it’s made for an easy recovery routine for Rooney as the Frost fight to stay alive in the playoffs.
    Staff Report, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026
  • The drive to pass a post-production tax credit bill in the California legislature received a boost Friday night when the California Post Alliance announced that the Television Academy has joined the fight.
    Jon Burlingame, Variety, 9 May 2026
Verb
  • Since then, showrunner Tim Minear and the rest of the writers have played up the actors' natural chemistry, playing into both the characters' bickering dynamic and their willingness to do anything, including risking their lives, for one another.
    Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
  • The video went viral, and the two eventually bickered about it on social media later Sunday night.
    Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
Verb
  • Ferm Living stackable metal baskets keep you from dumping clothes in a pile.
    Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 15 May 2026
  • As college athletic departments desperately look for money to pay mostly football and men’s basketball players, dumping a golf, tennis, track or swimming and diving program is an easy way to help with the budget.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrap. Accessed 16 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on scrap

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster