scrappy

adjective

Definition of scrappynext
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

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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 The game was scrappy on both sides throughout, but Queta was the only Celtics player to attempt a free throw through two-plus quarters. — ABC News, 23 Oct. 2026 Technology can liberate your scrappy plants from overcrowded window boxes, and put a micro-farm in your kitchen. — New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026 Nasdaq used to get the scrappy companies like Apple or Amazon. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 Previously announced under the title Shaolin Women’s Soccer, the Hong Kong-China co-production reworks the original film’s martial-arts-meets-scrappy-sports-team premise around an all-female squad of underdogs. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scrappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrappy
  1. aggressive
  2. controversial
  3. militant
  4. contentious
  5. hostile
  6. polemical
  7. feisty
  8. stubborn
Adjective
  • Environmentalists flex considerable muscle in the state and found an ally in Newsom, though the outgoing governor’s aggressive climate agenda ran into affordability and federal challenges in recent years.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • And definitely the lyrics are a lot more aggressive from Roger.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of aggressive
Adjective
  • Labrador, a controversial figure, outraised Hickman by hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the Idaho Secretary of State Office’s website.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 4 Nov. 2026
  • California voters decided on 14 measures on their ballot, ranging from the controversial — like the billionaire’s tax and tighter deadlines on environmental permitting — to the unchallenged — like the housing affordability bond.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of controversial
Adjective
  • Tensions between Israel and militant group Hezbollah ratcheted up in 2023 when the latter intensified attacks along Israel’s northern border in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks on the south of the country.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups regularly target anti-polio drives and police protecting health workers, falsely claiming that polio vaccination campaigns are part of a Western conspiracy to sterilize children.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of militant
Adjective
  • Skip to Main Content Concert Review The first of a historic five-night run at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was contentious and confounding.
    — DeAsia Paige, AJC.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The Ravens, meanwhile, are 4-4 and sit at the bottom of a contentious AFC North.
    — Jason Cohen, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of contentious
Adjective
  • The Navy's Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen, known as SWCCs, are elite maritime operators training to operate high-speed, heavily armed boats that transport Navy SEALs into and out of hostile territory, along with other maritime missions.
    — James LaPorta, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Even as crime drops and car crashes recede, New York’s streets and parks have grown increasingly hostile to those who are frail, slow, disabled, or small.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of hostile
Adjective
  • Speaking a few weeks after the launch of Tom Cruise-starring satirical polemic Digger, Wishart feels docs and features about this subject matter have become overly preachy.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The title that evokes Ernest Hemingway points at the polemical nature of some of the essays in the book.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of polemical
Adjective
  • Today, Petunia is a feisty, 5-year-old, hay-munching, 1,500 pound heifer.
    — Jason Mast, STAT, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Good Bull Outdoors shared a video this week on Instagram of a pair of massive elk locking antlers in a feisty scrap in Colorado.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of feisty
Adjective
  • An honor that seems to bring things full circle for that stubborn little girl who dreamed of performing on stages around the world from her farm.
    — Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026
  • How To Remove Leaf Stains With Chlorine Bleach Bleach is very effective at removing stubborn leaf stains, along with mildew and moss.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of stubborn

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Cite this Entry

“Scrappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrappy. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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