1
as in scraping
to damage by rubbing against a sharp or rough surface
scratched his arm on a branch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
1
as in metallic
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in jagged
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of scratching
Jeremy Vaughan, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Similar to a sheet pan, whole meals can be built in a Dutch oven, scratching that same itch for convenience and less clean up.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2024
By scratching beneath the surface to uncover these positive attributes, spies are able to forge connections with even the most seemingly reprehensible individuals.
—Jeremy Hurewitz, TIME, 21 Dec. 2024
Elf is a modern Christmas classic, but one of its most head-scratching yet hilarious moments almost ended up on the cutting room floor.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Much information can be gleaned from a natal chart, like astrology’s Big Three—the Sun, Moon and Rising (or Ascendant) signs—and this is just scratching the surface.
—Jessica Ourisman, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
But these forms of AI are only scratching the surface of what’s possible.
—Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN, 19 Dec. 2024
Despite being heavier than plastic or acrylic, glass is easier to clean without scratching, though plastic containers can also work.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 19 Dec. 2024
And that's just scratching the surface.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
But that’s just scratching the surface – addressing only the symptoms of the underlying challenges and only addressing them at the end of the SDLC process.
—Jeremy Vaughan, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Similar to a sheet pan, whole meals can be built in a Dutch oven, scratching that same itch for convenience and less clean up.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2024
By scratching beneath the surface to uncover these positive attributes, spies are able to forge connections with even the most seemingly reprehensible individuals.
—Jeremy Hurewitz, TIME, 21 Dec. 2024
Elf is a modern Christmas classic, but one of its most head-scratching yet hilarious moments almost ended up on the cutting room floor.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Much information can be gleaned from a natal chart, like astrology’s Big Three—the Sun, Moon and Rising (or Ascendant) signs—and this is just scratching the surface.
—Jessica Ourisman, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
But these forms of AI are only scratching the surface of what’s possible.
—Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN, 19 Dec. 2024
Despite being heavier than plastic or acrylic, glass is easier to clean without scratching, though plastic containers can also work.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 19 Dec. 2024
And that's just scratching the surface.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratching
Verb
-
Helped by the transaxle layout, the massive power gains, and sublime styling inside and out, the Vantage also requires less of the sacrifices dictated by low-slung mid-engine supercars that demand constant vigilance to avoid scraping on speed bumps, rough canyon roads, or driveways.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
Forbes,
29 Dec. 2024
-
The scraping sensations shouldn't be painful but may feel slightly uncomfortable.—
Carley Millhone,
Health,
27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The OnePlus Buds 4 come in two colors Zen Green and Storm Gray, with a matte metallic finish.—
Prakhar Khanna,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
And then, Michael Bay showed up in 2007 and turned the nifty shapeshifters into screeching metallic war machines who died violent digital deaths and rained sparks and destruction upon cities — for seven movies and counting.—
Marc Snetiker,
EW.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
When Squid Game first flung us into its arena of despair, questioning the status quo was the series’ fuel, and its narrative rhythm had the jagged urgency of that initial run of Red Light, Green Light.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
-
Another photo features a marshal with a long-range precision rifle mounted on a bipod, stationed on jagged ground with dramatic peaks in the backdrop.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
The orchestration is a touch grotesque, with the first violins given a shrill D two octaves above middle C.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
23 June 2025
-
Still, the shrill alarm that echoed on Friday morning as Israel announced airstrikes on neighboring Iran gave her that familiar feeling.—
Isabel Rivera,
Miami Herald,
15 June 2025
Adjective
-
And to eloquently share the piercing but ultimately inspiring tale of his family’s experience with the Special Olympics.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2025
-
What spooks Vara is that A.I. writes what are possibly her essay’s most piercing lines.—
Dwight Garner,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The Miz, often derided as a wrestler for his flamboyant and grating onscreen personality, is few people’s idea of a WrestleMania main-event talent, so his win makes the 27th event stand out as kind of an oddity.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
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His political opponents viewed him as grating, uncooperative, and at times dogmatic.—
Daniel R. DePetris,
Newsweek,
5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The Tatum injury sent Boston’s dynastic rise into a screeching halt.—
Kristian Winfield,
Hartford Courant,
23 June 2025
-
The running faucet of titles came to a screeching halt after the Habs won 32 years ago.—
David Close,
CNN Money,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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Somewhere in a far-off third-world nation, children die at a jarring rate from malnutrition.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
6 July 2025
-
Millennial and older thrill-seekers may remember rides like Orient Express, a red double-loop steel roller coaster or Timber Wolf, a jarring wooden coaster that is currently closed for the 2025 season.—
Abbey Briscoe,
Kansas City Star,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scratching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratching. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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