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
Michael Cox, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Clean the Midsoles of Sneakers If the rubber midsoles of your sneakers get dirty or scuffed, toothpaste can help.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2025
Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026
The interior is made with recycled materials that resist moisture and can be spot cleaned if a spill or scuff pops up.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scuff
Verb
Valverde also had a decent chance in August away at Oviedo, when running through on goal on the break and scuffing a shot against the outside of the post.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Clean the Midsoles of Sneakers If the rubber midsoles of your sneakers get dirty or scuffed, toothpaste can help.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2025
Noun
Floors The cleaner can also be used to remove scuff marks from floors.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026
The interior is made with recycled materials that resist moisture and can be spot cleaned if a spill or scuff pops up.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scuff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuff
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
-
Injury note The Sox were without outfielder Jarred Kelenic, who was scratched from the starting lineup because of a lower back bruise.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
While many of the brand’s lifestyle models are frequently shuffled in and out of production, the 9060 has held on as a staple of the brand’s lineup nearly four years after its retail debut.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
28 May 2026
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He then was shuffled between immigration centers in California, Arizona and Louisiana — before landing in Equatorial Guinea almost six months ago.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Noun
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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
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Your baby was waking at every creak of the floorboard, every passing car, every branch scraping the window.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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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During that time, crews will scrape up old lines and paint new ones, ITD spokesperson Jill Youmans told the Idaho Statesman on Friday.—
Rose Evans
May 29,
Idaho Statesman,
29 May 2026
Verb
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As anyone who's come within a hundred miles of the city will tell you, Nashville is a live-music mecca, overflowing with boot-stomping, fiddle-playing entertainment.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
24 May 2026
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Finally, after my sister had been hacking away for three minutes or so, one man stood, stared, anger evident on his face, and stomped away.—
Tom Levenson,
Time,
20 May 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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In contrast, André Burakovsky and Artyom Levshunov stumbled through forgettable seasons.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
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Teenage girls, battered in the storm after Joplin High School’s graduation, stumble and limp toward the hospital in pretty summer dresses soaked in blood.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuff. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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