1
as in to scratch
to damage by rubbing against a sharp or rough surface
scuffed up her shoes by rubbing her feet under the rung of the chair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
the miners scuffed past in heavy boots
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 scuff
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2025
Clinical signs often start in one hind limb and then progress to include both, and may include difficulty rising, hind limb weakness, incoordination, muscle loss, and scuffed toenails on hind limbs.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Nathan Allen, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025
Plus, there are four studs along the bottom to protect the leather from scratches and scuffs.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scuff
Verb
Baseboards also tend to get scuffed a lot in an active household.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2025
Clinical signs often start in one hind limb and then progress to include both, and may include difficulty rising, hind limb weakness, incoordination, muscle loss, and scuffed toenails on hind limbs.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
And there are some helpful backcountry features, like full-leg vents, loads of pockets, scuff guards below the knees, and a Recco Avalanche Rescue Reflector.
—Nathan Allen, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025
Plus, there are four studs along the bottom to protect the leather from scratches and scuffs.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scuff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuff
Verb
-
If large stuck-on food chunks remain, carefully scrape them off with a razor blade, being mindful not to scratch the stovetop.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Bright and spellbinding, glittering and dangerous, London Falling scratches every itch while unwinding this morbid mystery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, butterflies drift overhead, penguins shuffle, and the museum’s living roof flourishes with native plants from as far as Borneo and Madagascar.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The quarterback shuffle, though, continues.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Hearing the house creak in the recordings was important, Auerbach said.—
Audrey Gibbs,
USA Today,
1 Jan. 2026
-
Owners at the condo, where many units sold for upwards of $20 million, have complained of leaks, creaks, and elevators that break frequently, in one case trapping a resident for more than an hour.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
That ecosystem is being threatened, the letter notes, due to AI developers scraping creative work, often without authorization, compensation or transparency.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Training data for the models is often a messy patchwork assembled from millions of sources, much of it scraped from the open web.—
Craig S. Smith,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Oscar-winning composer Daniel Blumberg was tasked with layering in claps, stomps and screams.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Making matters worse was that Seahawks defensive lineman Derick Hall stomped down on Dotson’s calf after the play, leading to Shelton shoving him in the chest and, ultimately, a one-game suspension for Hall.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The routine that followed was more mumbly than inspired, delivered in a smoker’s rasp and with a downcast gaze.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
12 Dec. 2025
-
Kirbi, that rasp is so beautiful at the top of your register.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The same officer shoves Pretti in his chest, leading Pretti and the other protester to stumble backward.—
Hannah Fingerhut,
Twin Cities,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Dutcher and his staff might have stumbled on something.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuff. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
