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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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scrap

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noun (2)

scrap

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verb (1)

scrap

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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
This can include food waste, such as eggshells and old coffee, as well as compost and worm castings made from food scraps and garden debris. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 July 2025 Adding to the stench was an apparently plentiful amount of manure, which was regularly left there by pigs digging through the soil of the execution site in search of edible scraps. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2025
Verb
Goodwill Industries has filed plans with Louisville Metro to build affordable housing in the West End — weeks after a similar plan to convert the Nia Center into housing was scrapped. Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Aug. 2025 Norwegian Cruise Line also scrapped more than four months of cruises on two ships due to fleet redeployment in July. Nathan Diller, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for scrap

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Cite this Entry

“Scrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrap. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

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