scrapes 1 of 2

plural of scrape
1
as in encounters
a brief clash between enemies or rivals he's had his share of scrapes with the law in the past

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2
3
as in bruises
an area of skin roughened or worn away by harsh rubbing against another surface scrapes that were caused by a too-tight harness

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scrapes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of scrape
1
as in rubs
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface the rusty old gate scrapes against the pavement whenever anyone opens it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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3
as in grits
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

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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 scrapes
Noun
Minor scrapes and blisters happen too often while traveling, and the ship's medical center is notoriously expensive for the little stuff that a bandage would fix. Robin Raven, Travel + Leisure, 22 June 2026 The Dirty Beaches founder’s own saxophone and trumpet lead the players’ cut-and-pasted recordings down dark alleys of decay and introspection, backdropped by percussive bangs and scrapes that suggest the construction of some great, mysterious superstructure. Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 19 June 2026 This stubbornly optimistic place, where family after family scrapes and claws and laughs and dances their way to a better tomorrow. Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 18 June 2026 His fingers are nicked and scarred from pinches and scrapes. Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026 Delivery trucks, garbage workers, taxi drivers and honking motorists squeeze by parked cars on narrow side streets, sometimes ripping off side view mirrors or leaving scrapes on bumpers. New York Times, 9 June 2026 Harrison Ford As most pop culture enthusiasts know, Harrison Ford is best known for playing an expert pilot in the Star Wars franchise, with his character Han Solo navigating the Millennium Falcon through a number of scrapes. Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 30 May 2026 Cosmetic damage Dings, scrapes, scratches, and marks are typically not covered by car warranties. Kate Tully Ellsworth, USA Today, 18 May 2026 There have been 22 reports of the stools collapsing, with six injuries, including bruising and scrapes. Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
Verb
Her older brother, 9-year-old Charlie, climbs across the nearby jungle gym at a Prairie Village playground as her younger brother, 3-year-old Will, scrapes a stick through the mulch. Anna Spoerre, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026 Every texture is an independent agent with its own membrane in the mix; percussion rubs and scrapes against your attention, while mutating synth patches burble in the periphery. H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026 The structured silhouette and clean lines feel refined without being flashy, while the durable leather withstands scrapes from branches and changing weather. Paris Wilson, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2026 All these ideas and connections sort of gradually built up in the same way that Yoriko, the sculptor, gradually adds clay to her model — and then scrapes some off again, and then adds new bits. Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026 To show me, Max reaches a metal pick into a tank of clear water and scrapes a white line that seems to hover in the center of the tank. Blair Braverman, Outside, 3 Mar. 2026 Meyer helped design a tracking system that scrapes data from Zillow to detect price hikes greater than 10%. Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026 Kgasi makes his way down to one of the vertical surfaces of the pit and scrapes it gently. Ari Daniel, NPR, 4 Feb. 2026 With a palette knife, Callie Siskel scrapes at the raw face of elegy, revealing interior forms on a canvas where the poet’s father lives beyond death. Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrapes
Noun
  • Despite their abundance in some regions, blacktip sharks are generally not considered dangerous to humans, though their preference for shallow waters means encounters can occur, especially in surf zones where people are also present.
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • And while Aykroyd never saw her ghost himself, others who visited had encounters.
    Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 22 June 2026
Noun
  • The two women allegedly pushed each other near a chain link fence in Martinez’s backyard, leading to both of them suffering scratches, the document said.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2026
  • As if rapping from a speeding time machine, Wiki flows about yellow taxis turning into Uber Eats over an instrumental that cruises from a soft breakbeat into a total breakdown of glitchy scratches courtesy of Lil Ugly Mane.
    Lei Takanashi, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026
Noun
  • The beating left at least 30 bruises on Joanna’s torso and legs, and a belt pattern was present among the injuries, according to the assessment of a pathologist described in the affidavit.
    Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 June 2026
  • When bruises are noticed on their daughter’s body at school, their five children are taken away from them and a legal saga ensues.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • Then the coach known as the most impulsive man on an NFL sideline runs that stop sign, grits his teeth and breaks unbound into character.
    Michael Silver, New York Times, 16 June 2026

Cite this Entry

“Scrapes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrapes. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.

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