1
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
1
2
1
as in to write
to compose and set down on paper the words of
scratched out a poem for his beloved wife on the home front
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to delete
to show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it
scratched out the old phone number and wrote in the new one
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
Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2026
But that may be fine for homeowners who simply want solid coverage without having to build a plan from scratch.
—Sharon Wu, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Andrew Greif, NBC news, 2 May 2026
The game was scoreless until the Indians scratched across a run in the bottom of the fifth on a fielder’s choice ground out by Bodie Davis that scored Moeller who had led off with a single.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scratch
Noun
Competition is wide open in Fire camp with team starting from scratch as a new expansion franchise this season, and Williams is also in a strong position because Portland gave up a pick to acquire her in a trade with the Connecticut Sun on draft night.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2026
But that may be fine for homeowners who simply want solid coverage without having to build a plan from scratch.
—Sharon Wu, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Verb
Joined the field Friday after Right to Party was scratched.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 2 May 2026
The game was scoreless until the Indians scratched across a run in the bottom of the fifth on a fielder’s choice ground out by Bodie Davis that scored Moeller who had led off with a single.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scratch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratch
Noun
-
Police said the victim sustained visible injuries to his hand and reported additional pain and possible scrapes to his shin.—
Stepheny Price , Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2026
-
This day's aches and scrapes might last a little longer.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
During the pandemic, the Fed launched massive bond-buying programs, cut rates to zero, and promised to keep them there, flooding the economy with cash and stoking inflation.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
-
The airline ran out of cash, failed to secure a $500 million federal bailout, and felt the pressure of surging fuel prices.—
Marissa Sulek,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Mr Cobra opens like a dark, cobwebbed staircase leading into a vast and foreboding space, all frantic flute and piano, creaks, and bone-chilling screeches (not to mention a slutty monologue seemingly communicated via Google Translate).—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Your baby was waking at every creak of the floorboard, every passing car, every branch scraping the window.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The high-profile event raises money for the Met’s Costume Institute, and each year the dress code for the gala takes cues from the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition.—
Beatrice Dupuy,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
-
Americans cannot afford, in lives or in money, more unrestrained, never-ending wars.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
In these kinds of experiments, participants are told to practice physical activities—finger tapping, coin tossing, dart throwing with a nondominant hand—within their dreams.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
-
The coins were initially discovered by two metal detectorists in a field near the Norwegian city of Rena in the region of Østerdalen, according to the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Thirty-six thousand fans on a school day, with San Diego gas at six bucks a gallon.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
This small-space-friendly set costs under $100, but feels like a million bucks.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Those who join now can use the code PCAMER26 by December 31, 2026, to earn up to 4,000 bonus Avios (Qatar Airways’s rewards currency) to use on upcoming flights, upgrades, and extra baggage allowances.—
Jamie Spain,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The courts in the past have held — and usually not framed in terms of DEI policies; this was prior to that term gaining currency — but courts have been skeptical about giving the FCC authority over Equal Employment Opportunity policies as a basis for license decisions.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The ingredients are then kneaded together as dough, allowed to rise and baked at high temperatures, typically between 450 degrees Fahrenheit or 500 degrees, but can be as high as 550 degrees.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
-
The new product brings together the warm flavors of traditional apple pie—think sweet apple filling and cinnamon flavor—in a pre-portioned cookie dough that can go straight from package to oven.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scratch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratch. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
