scratch 1 of 2

Definition of scratchnext
1
as in to scrape
to damage by rubbing against a sharp or rough surface scratched his arm on a branch

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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
The sauces and guacamole are reportedly scratch-made, and the carnitas in particular are cooked for three hours. John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 8 July 2026 The photos of the front and driver’s side of a white van show no dents or scratches. Michael Loria, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Verb
Casey Schmitt was scratched from Sunday’s starting lineup due to an illness, but entered the game for the ailing Adames. Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 30 June 2026 Although the sandals have a more structured design, the 100 percent leather upper is very soft and doesn’t scratch the feet. Caitlyn Fitzpatrick, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for scratch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratch
Noun
  • 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
  • Three people were in the silver Chevrolet truck, and all managed to escape with minor cuts and scrapes, the sheriff’s office said.
    David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
Noun
  • If no one wins the jackpot, the cash prize will keep ticking up.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • There’s enough cash on hand for Rhaenyra to administer the Seven Kingdoms for a fortnight, and no one remaining from the old regime — not Alicent, not Orwyle — knows where Lannister hid the rest of the ingots.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 July 2026
Verb
  • An agitator is a post in the machine’s center that twists so the clothes can rub against each other, while impellers have a cone or disc on the bottom of the drum that spins.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2026
  • Thyme When their essential oils are released and rubbed onto the skin, thyme plants, including creeping thyme, can help keep mosquitoes away.
    Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 5 July 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • Her Eras Tour, the really beautiful white gown with her lyrics that were scribbled across the dress that was custom Vivienne.
    Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 30 June 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • Iwerks worked with Bonnie Wild, a sound mixer whose credits include multiple Marvel and Star Wars projects, to piece together all of the sound from scratch — every creak of metal, every footstep and hammer, and every tractor driving across concrete.
    Matthew Jacobs, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026
Noun
  • Well, not bad in terms of trying to showcase how much money Europe is spending on its own defense, with a raft of billion-dollar deals announced with some of the world's largest military contractors.
    Steve Sedgwick,Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 8 July 2026
  • What begins as a history play transforms into a sharp-eyed satire about the cost of assimilation in a society where money, power and white privilege remain stubbornly intertwined.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Verb
  • Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and wrote the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY.
    Zach Wichter, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • Long also wrote over the clip, which showed the family of three sitting by the water and opening a bottle of champagne.
    Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Noun
  • The other side of the coin here is those who only want to question the integrity of the country, or only want to enumerate its deals with the devil, that’s not healthy either.
    Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 July 2026
  • My father has sued both the bank and the coin company for negligence.
    Ari Maas, New York Daily News, 11 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Scratch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratch. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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