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
Earlier this year, $1 million winning scratch-off tickets were sold at stores in Pittsburgh and in Carnegie. — Mike Darnay, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026 Vernon works directly into wax with scalpels and other implements, allowing scratches, fingerprints, and cuts to survive their translation into metal. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
Officials said another woman fought back during an attack and scratched Davis, leaving DNA beneath her fingernails. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026 While most have not dismissed Michelin quite like Lee above, there is quite a bit of head scratching over who was included, who was omitted, and how the ratings were awarded. — Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 20 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scratch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratch
Noun
  • The company said the agent bypasses the personalization and other features built into the shopping experience and said Muse appears to capture and store customer credentials and scrape account data.
    — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The visits mainly addressed dehydration, minor cuts and scrapes and pre-existing medical conditions.
    — Ruby Grisin, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • That was in part to force the fathers to pay child maintenance, thus saving taxpayers’ money, but also supposedly to save the souls of both parents.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The page’s owners pled guilty to state criminal charges of conspiracy and money laundering, leading to the site’s shutdown in 2018.
    — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Drain, then rub beans between fingers to remove as many skins as possible.
    — Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Hollidge and Eshaghpour were captivated by Frank’s use of straw, which becomes more or less lustrous depending on how hard it’s rubbed (bringing out the material’s natural silica) and can be dyed to achieve different hues.
    — Jill Singer, Curbed, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • An urge strong enough to pull me away from the kitchen, grab my computer, and steal a table outside to scribble out my thoughts.
    — Samantha Rees, Vogue, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The gesture sets off a chain reaction, as a parade of strangers begins scribbling their own complaints, anxieties and grudges across the same tiles.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The distressed creak of nylon straps as the second coffin was lowered into the grave brought me back to the now.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Which, aurally, lies somewhere between a door creak and an ass smack.
    — Jason Sheeler, InStyle, 9 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The hike of 25 basis points to the cash rate was in line with expectations by economists polled by Reuters.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Relying purely on cash reserves is no longer viable when ownership utilizes revolving institutional liquidity.
    — Chris Koras, Sportico.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Among those claims, more than 70% of homeowners with insurance were underinsured by an average of roughly 20%, Klein wrote.
    — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Gibbons wrote that the exclusivity language in the CEA is more likely to represent an exclusion of courts’ jurisdiction than a prohibition on states’ power to make laws.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Pouch cell retains 78% capacity Researchers also built a small, single-layer pouch cell to demonstrate the chemistry beyond the coin cells typically used in early-stage battery research.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The hoard includes coins from present-day Sweden, Britain and Germany, as well as dirhams originating from areas that are now part of Turkey and Iran.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Scratch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratch. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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