1
as in metallic
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in scraping
to damage by rubbing against a sharp or rough surface
scratched his arm on a branch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in scribbling
to write or draw hastily or carelessly
scratched a quick doodle in the margins
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scratching
Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
There was something about the footprints disappearing in the powder dusting the sidewalks, the heaps of dirty snow that the kids tried to conquer like Everest, and dogs nearly my size scratching their backs on a tiny patch of ice that resonated with me.
—Leslie Hsu Oh, Outside, 26 Feb. 2026
And scratching the lead line will turn up a shiny silver surface.
—Suzanne King, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
Always set your glasses face up on surfaces to avoid scratching or smudging the lenses.
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Feb. 2026
This is an itch that needs scratching every so often.
—Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
The Sharks have been careful not to burden the 19-year-old with a lot of game-changing situational play, scratching him at times early on and mostly limiting his usage to third-pairing work at five-on-five.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
The disconnect Zandi is talking about has left many analysts scratching their heads over the past year.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
The result is a patchwork of ad-hoc extensions that can lead to abrupt dead ends and head-scratching configurations.
—Vivian Song, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
When not used correctly, aluminum foil can cause problems such as blocking air vents, scratching the enamel of your oven, starting a fire if used in the microwave, or causing uneven cooking of cookies.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
There was something about the footprints disappearing in the powder dusting the sidewalks, the heaps of dirty snow that the kids tried to conquer like Everest, and dogs nearly my size scratching their backs on a tiny patch of ice that resonated with me.
—Leslie Hsu Oh, Outside, 26 Feb. 2026
And scratching the lead line will turn up a shiny silver surface.
—Suzanne King, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
Always set your glasses face up on surfaces to avoid scratching or smudging the lenses.
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Feb. 2026
This is an itch that needs scratching every so often.
—Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
The Sharks have been careful not to burden the 19-year-old with a lot of game-changing situational play, scratching him at times early on and mostly limiting his usage to third-pairing work at five-on-five.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
The disconnect Zandi is talking about has left many analysts scratching their heads over the past year.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
The result is a patchwork of ad-hoc extensions that can lead to abrupt dead ends and head-scratching configurations.
—Vivian Song, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratching
Adjective
-
How To Identify Japanese Beetles Japanese beetles are about 5/16 to 7/16-inches long and have metallic green bodies with coppery-brown wing covers.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The pair will soon undergo another on-trend makeover complete with metallic studs and tulle shoelaces.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
These geckos live around karst rock formations — terrain shaped by limestone dissolution into caves, crevices and jagged outcrops.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Feb. 2026
-
From Buffalo Grove, the district goes northwest on a jagged path through Mundelein, Fox Lake and into McHenry County.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Papa Johns had 170 restaurants in Ohio in 2025, according to the data-scraping website ScrapeHero.—
James Powel,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2026
-
There were bits of physical comedy — the flower, the bowing and scraping around Catherine de Bourgh — that was kind of clowning, really.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
One of the officers can be seen rubbing his eye toward the end of the video.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Avoid aggressively rubbing to protect fabric fibers.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Quatisha Maycock, 5, had just learned how to write her name and practiced scribbling it every day up until she was thrown into the Everglades and left to be eaten by alligators.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
26 Jan. 2026
-
No more scribbling names on napkins and losing them later.—
Noel Burgess,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In turn, the tone has changed around Newcastle these past few days; less shrill, less edgy, less perilous.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Joe’s voice rose to a shrill cry.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The act of scrawling them upon the page is tangible and pleasing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Nov. 2025
-
Chalamet invites his Instagram followers to meet him at Regal Times Square to watch the first 30 minutes of Marty Supreme by scrawling the message on his Instagram Story in orange.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
What does the phrase squeaky bum time, the racehorse Devon Loch, and the Portuguese proverb ‘morrer na prais’ all have in common?—
Ian Irving,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The suona is a squeaky instrument.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scratching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratching. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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