scratching (out)

verb

present participle of scratch (out)
1
as in writing
to compose and set down on paper the words of scratched out a poem for his beloved wife on the home front

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in deleting
to show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it scratched out the old phone number and wrote in the new one

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratching (out)
  1. writing
  2. deleting
  3. canceling
Verb
  • Thinking that writing code was the only bottleneck for deploying new software is like the Titanic seeing the tip of the iceberg and assuming there was nothing underneath it.
    — Brian Jenney, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Raichlen’s career, in a way, is similar in that he’s never been stuck in the lane of writing about barbecuing only brisket and pork.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of writing
Verb
  • Before any big step, like sending a payment or deleting something, Claude Duet messages you for approval.
    — Jay Peters, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Her concern stems from the claim by the powerful interior minister, Amit Shah, who first said the voter revision would be aimed at detecting, deleting and deporting infiltrators.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of deleting
Verb
  • Organizers have held discussions around allowing overseas executives to participate virtually, Reuters reported last week, and The Wall Street Journal said that some executives are already canceling meetings.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Mission Control faced the prospect of aborting the landing, but Margaret's ingenious programming allowed the system to prioritize essential tasks while canceling the inessential ones.
    — Dean Robbins, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of canceling
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.

Browse Nearby Words

scratching
scratching (out)
scratch (out)
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Cite this Entry

“Scratching (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratching%20%28out%29. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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