scratch 1 of 2

noun

Definition of scratchnext
1
as in scrape
a harsh grating sound the scratch of metal on metal is not a good sound for a car to make

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in cash
slang something (as pieces of stamped metal or printed paper) customarily and legally used as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment she treated her buddies to a drink whenever she had the scratch for it

Synonyms & Similar Words

scratch

2 of 2

verb

ˈskrach How to pronounce scratch (audio)
1
as in to scrape
to damage by rubbing against a sharp or rough surface scratched his arm on a branch

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to rub
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface the branches of the willow tree scratch against the windowpane whenever the wind blows

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to scribble
to write or draw hastily or carelessly scratched a quick doodle in the margins

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 scratch
Noun
Jacobs was also inactive for two games — Week 12 with a knee injury and Week 18 as a healthy scratch. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 What was initially believed to be just a scratch started swelling over the next several hours, causing severe pain and an injury the size of a baseball. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
Verb
The planters themselves get chipped, scratched, dented and, in one out of every three cases so far, destroyed. — Josh Bergeron, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026 All the weirdo arcane seemingly head-scratching things are just this the honest documentary of us as kids in the late ’90s in Tempe, Arizona, and the surrounding area. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for scratch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratch
  1. scrape
  2. cash
  3. rub
  4. scribble
  5. creak
  6. money
  7. write
  8. coin
Noun
  • Necrotizing fasciitis can be contracted when bacteria that thrives in warm, brackish waters enters the body through open cuts, scrapes, burns or other puncture wounds, or by eating raw or undercooked shellfish.
    — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
  • The agency also recommends those at higher risk for infection wear water shoes or clothes in coastal water to prevent cuts and scrapes.
    — Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2026
Definition of scrape
Noun
  • There is no Florida law that requires a business to accept cash.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 28 July 2026
  • While hardware is still its bread and butter, the company is investing significant amounts of resources and cash into growing a wider healthcare ecosystem.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of cash
Verb
  • Schmitt was visibly shaken up and could be seen rubbing his left knee in discomfort.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
  • About 30 seconds under running water, while gently rubbing the produce with your hands, does far more than a passive soak.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 27 July 2026
Definition of rub
Verb
  • With so much data to take in, penalty ‘cheat sheets’ have started to appear on goalkeeper’s bottles and scribbled on pieces of paper.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 11 July 2026
  • One $10,000 loan, memorialized in a note scribbled in Vietnamese, called for $100 a day in interest.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of scribble
Noun
  • The durable metal is also rust-resistant, and reviews say that despite its metal frame, creaks and squeaks are minimal.
    — Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 16 July 2026
  • Prairie grasses and bonnet strings whip in the wind as the creak of wagon wheels carries across the rippling grassland.
    — Alicia Underlee Nelson, Midwest Living, 22 June 2026
Definition of creak
Noun
  • Villa’s desire to address this position has grown in prominence over the summer, with Jadon Sancho’s loan ending, Evann Guessand and Leon Bailey available to leave and Villa having the money to spend from Rogers’ sale.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Georgia voters should look twice before donating money to candidates this election season.
    — Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of money
Verb
  • Streamlined and very much in line with the neutral tones and corporate minimalism of the Westin-Marriott aesthetic, rooms decor here isn’t much to write home about.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
  • But thousands of public comments come from scientists, who warn that the rule, as written, would severely curtail their work treating pediatric cancers, improving maternal health and advancing fundamental research.
    — Lisa Song, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
Definition of write
Noun
  • Cooper won a coin toss and received Bueckers, the leader in fan votes.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 July 2026
  • Peak Design previously made a card-sized location tracking device (similar to an AirTag), and it's now shrunk that down to a coin-sized version that fits in the baseplate.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 24 July 2026
Definition of coin

Phrases Containing scratch

Browse Nearby Words

scraps
scratch
scratched
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Scratch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratch. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on scratch

Nglish: Translation of scratch for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of comely

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All