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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scrappy
For decades we were known as a scrappy paper that punched above its weight, with three Pulitzer finalists and scores of national awards.
—
Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Ostranuats puts you at the helm of a ship crewed by a scrappy collection of the galaxy's cast-offs, salvaging parts and subsystems to fend off bankruptcy and keep your rustbucket afloat in the darkest corners of the universe.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2025
But Robbie, ever the scrappy guy, already sees through the naïve guise and holds the FBI Task Force agent at gun point.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
After the industry was deregulated in 1978, a wave of scrappy, low-cost carriers took on legacy airlines, and with far lower costs than their much larger rivals, managed to stay competitive.
—Barbara Peterson, AFAR Media, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrappy
Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Ostranuats puts you at the helm of a ship crewed by a scrappy collection of the galaxy's cast-offs, salvaging parts and subsystems to fend off bankruptcy and keep your rustbucket afloat in the darkest corners of the universe.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2025
But Robbie, ever the scrappy guy, already sees through the naïve guise and holds the FBI Task Force agent at gun point.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
After the industry was deregulated in 1978, a wave of scrappy, low-cost carriers took on legacy airlines, and with far lower costs than their much larger rivals, managed to stay competitive.
—Barbara Peterson, AFAR Media, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrappy
Adjective
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Being passive aggressive and giving non-committal responses is clearly not working.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
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But even with the aggressive approach, the talent gap was evident.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But in 2023, Meloni’s government struck an agreement with Albania – a non-EU country – to build controversial migrant detention centers and subvert the EU agreement.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
19 Oct. 2025
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Reese has become arguably the most controversial figure in women's basketball since then.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But Afghan-Pakistan relations have soured amid an uptick in militant violence against Pakistan.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
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By this time, however, Hamas had already begun to eclipse secular rivals in popularity and Palestinian elections held in 2006 led to a victory for the Islamist militant group, sparking clashes with the PA's leading Fatah faction and Hamas' eventual takeover of the territory the following year.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Diversity, equity, and inclusion has taken on a life of its own politically, and as with many contentious issues, the state has issued legal guidance on how it must be addressed.—
Grace Tucker,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
15 Oct. 2025
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The first round of talks between the two sides was contentious.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In response, Stanton told him to go away, using an expletive, and sent a series of hostile messages, as well as one asking to meet in person, the complaint alleges.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
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But in the best-of-seven ALCS, the Jays needed four starters, so there was Scherzer, making his first appearance of the postseason in a hostile environment with his team needing a win to tie the series with the Seattle Mariners at two games apiece.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Uninhibited by the European commitments of their rivals following last season’s dreary eighth-place finish, Massimiliano Allegri has wasted no time moulding the Rossoneri into a stubborn outfit that sit within two points of the summit after a 0-0 draw at Juventus before the international break.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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That damaging psychic weight of insecurity and self-blame seeps into our society and politics, where polls show a stubborn and longtime trend of declining faith in a better future.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Published in English, French, and German, the letters can range from a few hundred to 1,500 words, depending on how feisty Karp is feeling.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
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The Buckeyes and Ryan Day still need to slay the Michigan monster at the end of this book, and both have dates with a suddenly feisty UCLA.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrappy. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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