scratching 1 of 2

present participle of scratch
1
as in scraping
to damage by rubbing against a sharp or rough surface scratched his arm on a branch

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2
as in rubbing
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 scribbling
to write or draw hastily or carelessly scratched a quick doodle in the margins

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scratching

2 of 2

adjective

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 scratching
Adjective
The cats kept them up each night with their incessant whining and scratching at their doors. Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025 As a player just scratching the surface of his potential with so much still ahead of him, the coming months are critical to his hopes of landing an invite to Italy. Chris Johnston, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025 The mesh upper helps your feet breathe while the extra-thick heel protects your feet from chafing or scratching the back of your heel. Christopher Murray May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 8 Sep. 2025 Mock suggests using gentle cleaning tools to avoid scratching the flooring. Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025 From the time when people first started scratching into the cave walls. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025 Food brands can always be counted on to deliver at least one head-scratching apparel collection during fashion week. Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 5 Sep. 2025 Cardi admitted to a verbal exchange but denied spitting on or scratching the woman as alleged. Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 3 Sep. 2025 Of all the head-scratching mysteries in California, none is more aggravating than the state’s high-speed rail project. U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratching
Verb
  • Some of those models make the curve tighter, bringing Bermuda into the path, and others give the storm a broader turn, potentially scraping as far as Puerto Rico.
    Alex Harris Updated September 4, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Authors are suing tech firms for scraping their books.
    Don Markland, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Work it into the fabric by massaging it with the pads of your fingers or by rubbing the fabric against itself.
    Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2025
  • These trees are always vulnerable to the male deer, known as bucks, rubbing their antlers on the trunks of the trees.
    Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The people who've had their eyes trained on central banks all over the world, for years, notebooks out, scribbling down their observations.
    Erika Beras, NPR, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The attacker left behind a lengthy suicide note, journal entries and scribbling on the weapons used in the ambush at the Church of the Annunciation, which is affiliated with an adjacent Catholic school.
    Ernesto Londoño, Twin Cities, 1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Their propellants are a mixture of fuel and oxidizer, with metallic powders such as aluminum often serving as the fuel.
    Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
  • This look, inspired by late nights at NYC's legendary CBGB, is designed to be paired with the J703 Super Slim Jean in a metallic version of JV’s iconic Matchstick skinny jean.
    Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Most of the surface is made up of a fine dust with jagged edges because it hasn’t been weathered by wind or water.
    Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Against all of this allegedly heady stuff, the score—by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross—intentionally jars us from encroaching drowsiness with chortling woodwinds and shardlike piano chords that are the aural equivalent of jagged Plexiglass off-cuts.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • One option is to simply double down on the existing approach and become shriller.
    Robert G. Eccles, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
  • The warnings start coming in, first shrill alarms from our cellphones alerting us of a tornado warning, and then the stirring call of tornado-warning sirens outside of the windows.
    Colleen Hagerty, Rolling Stone, 27 July 2025
Adjective
  • Adding squeaky toys and being careful to be gentle when bathing can all help an anxious dog at bathtime, and owners should use a muzzle if their dog becomes aggressive during bathtime.
    Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Full rich body with squeaky acidity and pronounced tropicals on the finish.
    Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • My piercing call seemed absorbed by the heavy moisture, trapping even the echo I’d been accustomed to hearing.
    Jim Tschetter, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2025
  • This is a piercing and perceptive psychological thriller.
    Connie Ogle, Boston Herald, 10 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Scratching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratching. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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