1
as in metallic
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scratching
Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
After weeks of scratching and clawing just to get a handful of runs across the plate, the Red Sox burst out of the gate Friday with one of their most productive offensive innings in ages.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 23 May 2026
Don’t apply too much pressure to avoid scratching the surface.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 May 2026
And that’s only scratching the surface.
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 21 May 2026
But that's just scratching the surface.
—Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 17 May 2026
Even many of those who support Johnson on other issues are scratching their head over this one.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
The bid left some in the industy scratching their heads, per our snap analysis last year, but others said there was logic to building scale.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 May 2026
More than two months into the Iran war, many analysts are still scratching their heads that wartime leaders in Washington did not plan for an Iranian shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Verb
Spark will monitor and organize Gmail, complete complex tasks, and manage workflows across apps – and that’s just scratching the surface.
—Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
After weeks of scratching and clawing just to get a handful of runs across the plate, the Red Sox burst out of the gate Friday with one of their most productive offensive innings in ages.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 23 May 2026
Don’t apply too much pressure to avoid scratching the surface.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 May 2026
And that’s only scratching the surface.
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 21 May 2026
But that's just scratching the surface.
—Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 17 May 2026
Even many of those who support Johnson on other issues are scratching their head over this one.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
The bid left some in the industy scratching their heads, per our snap analysis last year, but others said there was logic to building scale.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 May 2026
More than two months into the Iran war, many analysts are still scratching their heads that wartime leaders in Washington did not plan for an Iranian shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratching
Adjective
-
My husband loves that this particular style is infused with a touch of precious metal to give off a slight metallic sheen.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026
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Eva Longoria closed the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in another sky-high platform sandal, wearing a metallic silver iteration of Santoni’s Wide Strap Platform Sandal to the closing ceremony Saturday night.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
The humble insects, which have jagged wings and fuzzy, thick legs, migrate every year from the Sierra Nevada to warmer coastal areas in winter, laying eggs which grow into caterpillars and eventually new butterflies.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
26 May 2026
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Seismic images of mid-ocean ridges typically show rough and jagged terrain, formed when lava oozes up into the cold ocean along faults or fissures and hardens suddenly into stone.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Proxy services are often used for illicit or unethical purposes such as performing DDoS attacks, running botnet command-and-control servers, operating phishing operations, and scraping website content.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
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After negotiations fell through, the network blocked Perplexity’s scraping bot from accessing its content.—
Corbin Bolies,
Variety,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Pour the marinade over and turn to thoroughly coat the chicken, rubbing the marinade between the skin and meat.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
26 May 2026
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Throughout all three births, her husband’s role remained focused on supporting her through labor by rubbing her back, encouraging her through contractions and helping create a calm environment in the delivery room.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
Verb
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This group – which included women with graying hair and comfortable OnCloud running shoes, a doctoral student scribbling in a tiny notebook and men wearing office casual chinos – were talking death over tea and vegan strawberry cookies in a gathering commonly called a Death Cafe.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
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As anachronisms constantly threaten to puncture the illusion, the cast stays wry, nimble and self-conscious in order to locate plot points and jokes that reinforce the golden-age radio setting, scribbling notes and introducing characters that propel them through ludicrous narrative arcs.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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On shrill winter nights, Moscow’s power is conspicuous, its Orthodox cathedrals and Stalinist high-rises illuminated, though the view falls dim in the autumn and spring, shrouded in sheets of greige.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
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The chaos is still an acceptable price to pay for Birney’s expertly offputting performance, a shrill mania that gets increasingly comic over time.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
26 Mar. 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
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Lastly, hyaluronic acid and glycerin deeply hydrate, canceling any squeaky clean feeling here.—
Sarah Felbin,
Allure,
20 May 2026
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Make sure there’s room for the water to flow freely between dishes for squeaky clean results.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scratching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratching. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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