scratch 1 of 3

scratch

2 of 3

verb (1)

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

scratch (out)

3 of 3

verb (2)

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
No materials from the first season’s version of Jackson, which was built in Canmore, Alberta, were retained when production moved to British Columbia for season two, so Macauley and his team had to construct a thriving Jackson from scratch before production started in February 2024. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025 Landeskog played in two games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, posting a goal and an assist, but was a scratch for Game 1. Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
Rosemary restrained herself from scratching at her wig. Susannah Cahalan, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2025 The events don’t even scratch the surface of what’s to come for the entire weekend. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for scratch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratch
Noun
  • Cover and help protect minor wounds, cuts, scrapes and burns with BAND-AID Brand Flexible Fabric Adhesive Bandages featuring details from artworks by Katsushika Hokusai in The Met collection.
    Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Without guardrails, these systems scrape, remix, and reproduce sacred imagery, ceremonial language, and ancestral designs — usually without consent or context.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Money isn’t everything Harris raised a ton of cash.
    Amie Parnes, The Hill, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Skilled thieves target specific homes and literally knock on the door and otherwise check to find a time when nobody is home, then the crooks burglarize the home quickly looking for jewelry and cash.
    Greg Fisher, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • My assumption is that most rational human beings would happily stay in a warm and cozy office and simply listen to the building creak and groan under the force of the violent gusts.
    Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 11 Mar. 2025
  • The set is a ship’s deck that tilts and creaks ominously while a screen plays eerily textured footage of a roiling ocean.
    Houman Barekat, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Youngkin in 2021 raised $2.2 million in contributions, but the millionaire investor bolstered his war chest with $5.5million of his own money, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
    Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Third, protecting the tax payers money and resources.
    Kate Marijolovic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • While Smoke heads to town to buy provisions for the club, Stack and Sammie hire another musician, the elderly Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), who has been playing harmonica for coins at the train station.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Some people like to put chocolates, toys, coins and other treats inside the ones that can be split in half for extra fun.
    Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Bears traded away a massive amount of draft currency, sending the 49ers a four-pack of picks — Nos. 3, 67 and 111 in that year’s draft plus a 2018 third-rounder — to slide up one peg to No. 2 on the draft board to draft Mitch Trubisky, a quarterback at North Carolina.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Their faces have appeared on currency, Streets bear their names, children learn about them in school.
    Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Instead of folding in grated carrots or using purée, developer Julia Levy reduces bottled carrot juice until syrupy, then blends it right into the dough.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Apr. 2025
  • To make ahead: Make and shape the dough and leave them, covered, in the refrigerator overnight.
    Nicole Hvidsten, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Scratch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratch. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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