scrape 1 of 2

noun

Definition of scrapenext
1
as in encounter
a brief clash between enemies or rivals he's had his share of scrapes with the law in the past

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in scratch
a harsh grating sound the scrape of a shovel on concrete

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in bruise
an area of skin roughened or worn away by harsh rubbing against another surface scrapes that were caused by a too-tight harness

Synonyms & Similar Words

scrape

2 of 2

verb

ˈskrāp How to pronounce scrape (audio)
1
as in to scratch
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface the rusty old gate scrapes against the pavement whenever anyone opens it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to graze
to damage by rubbing against a sharp or rough surface she scraped her knee when she fell down

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to grit
to press or strike against or together so as to make a scraping sound she scraped her fingernails across the chalkboard to get everyone's attention

Synonyms & Similar 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 scrape
Noun
The company said the agent bypasses the personalization and other features built into the shopping experience and said Muse appears to capture and store customer credentials and scrape account data. — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026 The visits mainly addressed dehydration, minor cuts and scrapes and pre-existing medical conditions. — Ruby Grisin, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
By 2022 — four years after the contract had expired — Olsen was ailing and DeFalco was trying to scrape together money to pay for Olsen’s caregiver. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 3 Nov. 2026 The company says the update is not about scraping news sites. — Barbara Ortutay, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scrape
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrape
  1. encounter
  2. scratch
  3. bruise
  4. grit
  5. brush
  6. abrasion
  7. graze
Noun
  • McLaren also described Banks as being highly agitated during the encounter.
    — Brian Maass, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2026
  • The encounter reportedly occurred during Nvidia’s annual GTC developer conference in March.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of encounter
Noun
  • Sunday This restaurant on the Trinity is known for its allergy-friendly options and healthy scratch kitchen.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Bunting returned to the lineup after sitting out five games as a healthy scratch.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of scratch
Noun
  • Resiliency is also what helped Orlando go 2-2 on its four-game West Coast road trip without Paolo Banchero (right high ankle sprain), Jalen Suggs (right knee bone bruise) and Noah Penda (partially torn right hamstring) for its entirety.
    — Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Nov. 2026
  • What was first feared to be a torn meniscus turned out to be a deep bone bruise and Ramirez kept playing.
    — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of bruise
Verb
  • Take a rock, grit his teeth, and stave in that beautiful, trusting face?
    — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
  • And those options extend well beyond a binary choice between taking an opioid and gritting your teeth.
    — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of grit
Noun
  • The mascara’s dual-sided brush is known to grab every lash—even the baby lashes near the inner corners of the eyes.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Police arrested the driver, later identified as Magana and recovered the firearm, which was buried under brush.
    — Tim Fang, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of brush
Noun
  • Article also takes pride in testing its upholstery for abrasion resistance, vigorously wear-testing it in its facilities to ensure long-lasting quality.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Also avoid digging or raking over the root zone, which Abdi says can sever sensitive roots or cause abrasions, encouraging pests and diseases to enter the tree.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of abrasion
Noun
  • The 26-year-old was hit multiple times, and a 23-year-old man suffered a graze wound to his foot.
    — Darius Johnson, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Depending on the season, animals could eat the crops, graze grass, or forage for acorns.
    — Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of graze

Phrases Containing scrape

Browse Nearby Words

scrapbooks
scrape
scrape (by or through)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scrape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrape. 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