1
as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
she was a scrappy girl despite—or, perhaps, because of—her small size
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in controversial
given to arguing
a pair of scrappy movie critics who can never agree on anything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 scrappy
Many of the best startup stories begin with small, scrappy beginnings.
—
Ilona Limonta-Volkova, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
His ability to write across the ensemble turns the family into an unforgettable organism, pulsing with sadness and regret and a small, late-breaking surge of scrappy resilience.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 June 2025
From Billy Joel to Miley, Tribeca Film Festival goes all in on music movies
How Billy Joel's first wife is responsible for his success
Without the influence of Weber, Joel might never have elevated from scrappy club singer in sneakers and a blazer to worldwide musical titan.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 6 June 2025
At an art museum, a dance club’s once forward-leaning experience of scrappy social optimism — life and liberty fueling the pursuit of happiness — is enshrined as a necessary and valiant cultural value, which lends richness to Rosales’ otherwise simple materials.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrappy
Ilona Limonta-Volkova, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
His ability to write across the ensemble turns the family into an unforgettable organism, pulsing with sadness and regret and a small, late-breaking surge of scrappy resilience.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 June 2025
From Billy Joel to Miley, Tribeca Film Festival goes all in on music movies
How Billy Joel's first wife is responsible for his success
Without the influence of Weber, Joel might never have elevated from scrappy club singer in sneakers and a blazer to worldwide musical titan.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 6 June 2025
At an art museum, a dance club’s once forward-leaning experience of scrappy social optimism — life and liberty fueling the pursuit of happiness — is enshrined as a necessary and valiant cultural value, which lends richness to Rosales’ otherwise simple materials.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrappy
Adjective
-
But even in Alberta, a province that has favored development, the legacy policies are still likely not aggressive enough to meet the moment.—
Mark Le Dain,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
-
Most recently the administration asked the Supreme Court to clear the way for downsizing the federal workforce despite multiple court rulings that congressional approval is needed to make such aggressive reductions.—
Ragan Whitlock,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2025
Adjective
-
The other shoe dropped with an unsettling thud recently when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt openly gay-bashed in defense of her controversial boss.—
Louis Balsamo,
Baltimore Sun,
25 June 2025
-
However, the Trump administration did briefly propose a controversial 100% tariff on films made abroad to discourage runaway production.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Islamic State militant group (ISIS) operates both east and west of Iran and has also stepped up operations within the Islamic Republic itself, having claimed the deadliest operation in the nation's post-revolutionary history in January 2024.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
-
Bondi also shared that over 1,000 Iranian nationals have entered the country illegally in recent years and said law enforcement agencies are actively investigating them for possible ties to foreign militant groups.—
Elaine Mallon,
The Washington Examiner,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
The highly contentious ordinance faced months of City Council debate before passing in a 27-to-22 vote.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2025
-
The topic of banning phones at gigs has been a contentious one over the years, with artists wishing for fans to live in the moment, and fans desiring a chance to memorialize their concert experiences.—
Tyler Jenke,
Billboard,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Syria has turned from a fertile ground to a hostile one for Iran and its assets, after the Assad regime was toppled in December.—
Lina Khatib,
Time,
19 June 2025
-
Republican leaders there have long seen many local school boards as hostile to potential charter school operators, resulting in a steady push to find ways for operators to apply to the state.—
Kate Payne,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
Then Curry, rattled by the monumental reverb of Kyrie’s shot, hurried into a stubborn approach on the ensuing possession, missed a desperate 3 over Kevin Love, who used his length and a rare display of defensive intensity to deny Curry a good look.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
-
All of which can be employed by Musk or anyone else using AI to target us with false political advertising tailored to our most stubborn biases, further dividing us, manipulating elections and solidifying what has already become a fascist state.—
Sal Recchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 June 2025
Adjective
-
Things got feisty, but Curaçao kept pressing in their own way, having two goals called back due to offside.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
-
Kino Lorber has acquired North American distribution rights to Shari & Lamb Chop, a documentary about children’s TV trailblazer Shari Lewis who created a sensation with her cuddly and feisty sock puppet Lamb Chop.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrappy. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share