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
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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
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Recent Examples of scuff
Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2026
The shoes are scuffed up and spray-painted, presumably with a can of Krylon from a home improvement retailer.
—The Oklahoman, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 May 2026
Normal wear and tear, such as minor scuffs, small nail holes, or ordinary carpet wear, is part of renting and generally cannot be deducted.
—Stacker, Baltimore Sun, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scuff
Verb
Between damp docks, muddy trails, and the occasional drizzle, they were quickly soaked and scuffed.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2026
The shoes are scuffed up and spray-painted, presumably with a can of Krylon from a home improvement retailer.
—The Oklahoman, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
Not only do the records feature scuff marks and price tags, but poems and doodles—as if the blankness was begging to be filled in.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 May 2026
Normal wear and tear, such as minor scuffs, small nail holes, or ordinary carpet wear, is part of renting and generally cannot be deducted.
—Stacker, Baltimore Sun, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scuff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuff
Verb
-
The Pirates scratched the winning run across against Anthony Bender (1-1), who got in a jam after getting the first two outs of the inning.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 June 2026
-
Widow’s Bay manages to scratch the same itch as recent idiosyncratic horror offerings like Evil and Castle Rock, municipal comedies like Parks and Recreation, and quaint small-town BritBox mysteries.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Manager John Schneider is now forced to shuffle players like Andrés Gimenez and Ernie Clement at shortstop, often platooning Gimenez, and inserting lesser hitters at second base.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
After about 10 minutes of sitting frozen in place, the seven-year-old shuffled out of the room with his mother, sister and grandmother.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Iwerks worked with Bonnie Wild, a sound mixer whose credits include multiple Marvel and Star Wars projects, to piece together all of the sound from scratch — every creak of metal, every footstep and hammer, and every tractor driving across concrete.—
Matthew Jacobs,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
-
Mr Cobra opens like a dark, cobwebbed staircase leading into a vast and foreboding space, all frantic flute and piano, creaks, and bone-chilling screeches (not to mention a slutty monologue seemingly communicated via Google Translate).—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Most of the site has been cleaned and scraped, while the work at a nearby synagogue that suffered severe damage is just beginning.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
Her older brother, 9-year-old Charlie, climbs across the nearby jungle gym at a Prairie Village playground as her younger brother, 3-year-old Will, scrapes a stick through the mulch.—
Anna Spoerre,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
On Monday night, a 39-year-old man wearing a Spurs jersey was stomped and punched after Game 3 while walking down West 47th Street, about 15 blocks from the arena.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Suddenly, the trees part and a Tyrannosaurus rex stomps into view.—
RJ Mackenzie,
Popular Science,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Like Dijon, svn4vr uses a dexterous, soulful rasp to fight for emotional truth from within songs that occupy shifting senses of space and bear the seams of digital assembly.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Deep and smoky with impressive control and just a touch of Etta James rasp, Spiro’s is a voice not so much influenced by jazz legends like Winehouse or Nina Simone but rather a direct descendant.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Grimm Brothers fairy tale follows a pair of famished siblings who get lost in the woods and entrapped by a child-eating witch, after stumbling upon her cottage made of candy.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
-
The memorial effort dragged for years as the private onePulse Foundation, originally tasked to create it, stumbled and then collapsed amid excessive ambition that produced a plan for a $100 million memorial and museum the group had no ability to fund.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuff. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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