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
Some 15 artists — most but not all of them young and up-and-coming, all of them friends and friends of friends, every one of them scrappy and talented — now work in former shops and offices scattered throughout the three-story mall and office building.
—
Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
The Timberwolves could try that with a scrappy guard like DiVincenzo, a lanky athletic wing like McDaniels, or even with veteran forward Kyle Anderson, a buyout acquisition who was also pursued by Denver.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
While national parks have big-sibling swagger, state parks bring a scrappy, middle-child energy.
—Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 17 Apr. 2026
Grant was the scrappier team, served consistently and had plenty of big swings on the net.
—Justin Vigil Zuniga, Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scrappy
Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
The Timberwolves could try that with a scrappy guard like DiVincenzo, a lanky athletic wing like McDaniels, or even with veteran forward Kyle Anderson, a buyout acquisition who was also pursued by Denver.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
While national parks have big-sibling swagger, state parks bring a scrappy, middle-child energy.
—Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 17 Apr. 2026
Grant was the scrappier team, served consistently and had plenty of big swings on the net.
—Justin Vigil Zuniga, Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scrappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrappy
Adjective
-
Paolo Banchero set the tone early with an aggressive, assertive first half that dictated the flow of the game.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Many were acquired between 2019 and 2022 at elevated valuations and financed with aggressive leverage, assumptions that are now being tested in a higher-rate environment.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
When Cuban refugees flooded Miami in 1980 after the Mariel boatlift, the county passed a controversial ordinance that largely banned the use of taxpayer money for programs conducted in languages besides English.—
David Ovalle,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
-
And yet, there is worry that one of the new personalities might go rogue; do something that doesn’t adhere to an organization’s journalism standards; or, most challenging, do something controversial on their own platform that becomes associated with the mainstream news venue that employs them.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Both President Emmanual Macron and the UNIFIL force blamed Hezbollah, but the militant group denied involvement.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon against the militant group Hezbollah, who are close allies of Iran, has been a sticking point in negotiations between Washington and Tehran.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Already the jobs issue in Hollywood has become a contentious part of the race for governor in California, with several candidates pledging to eliminate the $750 million cap put in place by Newsom, which already was more than double what the state was previously capped at.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The Kelly Tractor project is contentious enough that Mayor Daniella Levine Cava in February vetoed the commission’s approval of the plan.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
On Tuesday a civil jury concluded that Lodes resigned involuntarily due to his reporting of a hostile workplace and was awarded the multimillion-dollar payment as compensation for his emotional damages.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The lawsuit claims Mavromatis experienced retaliatory consequences for raising concerns about the harassment and hostile work environment.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Colleges and universities nationwide continue to grapple with polemic issues associated with the fair treatment of individuals of differing backgrounds, political persuasions, and sexuality.—
Blake D. Morant,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
This kind of depravity, licentiousness and polemical theatrics has no place on such a traditional and once wholesome presentation of the coming of a new year in our great nation and especially on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the greatest experiment in democracy and freedom in history.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Delane is an athletic, fast, and feisty man cover corner.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Boring dad; feisty mom; rich do-gooder; striving newcomer; MAGA one; MAGA two.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
More than a day later, firefighters remained on scene to douse stubborn hotspots.—
Naveen Dhaliwal,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Use a cooktop scraper or soft sponge to remove stubborn residue while the cooktop is still warm for easier cleaning.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrappy. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
