1
as in scratched
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shuffled
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 scuffed
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026
Mac Allister got there first, but his scuffed clearance only fell to Mainoo, who calmly passed the ball into the net.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Tafari managed to put a foot on the rebound, but the scuffed clearance fell in front of Jesús Gallardo, who toed it toward goal.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
Don’t Pay Full Price for Defective Items Found a lamp with a tiny chip or artwork with a scuffed frame?
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Apr. 2026
Lehkonen and O'Connor turned on the jets during a third period Kings PP as Los Angeles' Adrian Kempe fanned on a one-timer at the blue line, sending the puck skipping in front of him like a scuffed golf drive.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
Everything about the camp, with its beige corridors and scuffed canteen, is familiar and nondescript, said Alissa Wilkinson in The New York Times, but writer-director Charlie Polinger knows how to make the everyday ominous.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 23 Apr. 2026
Two distinct styles collide on a pair of intergenerational live recordings pitting the Buchla pioneer’s undulating sequences against the lo-fi techno producer’s scuffed textures.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
Yellow roach powder covered the scuffed parquet floors and coated the tongue of Masha the cat, who roamed freely through the complex.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
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
Here, both are completely dismantled and scuffed to the point of being barely recognizable.
—Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 7 Mar. 2026
College football is in chaos, its clothes disheveled, shirttail out, shoes expensive, Italian-made, but scuffed.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2025
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
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
Years of wear and tear had scuffed the walls.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Dark, dim, and a little grungy, with its scuffed checkerboard floors, worn old couches, peeling walls, and chalkboard menus, La Factoria feels like a clandestine underground speakeasy.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026
Mac Allister got there first, but his scuffed clearance only fell to Mainoo, who calmly passed the ball into the net.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Tafari managed to put a foot on the rebound, but the scuffed clearance fell in front of Jesús Gallardo, who toed it toward goal.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
Don’t Pay Full Price for Defective Items Found a lamp with a tiny chip or artwork with a scuffed frame?
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Apr. 2026
Lehkonen and O'Connor turned on the jets during a third period Kings PP as Los Angeles' Adrian Kempe fanned on a one-timer at the blue line, sending the puck skipping in front of him like a scuffed golf drive.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
Everything about the camp, with its beige corridors and scuffed canteen, is familiar and nondescript, said Alissa Wilkinson in The New York Times, but writer-director Charlie Polinger knows how to make the everyday ominous.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 23 Apr. 2026
Two distinct styles collide on a pair of intergenerational live recordings pitting the Buchla pioneer’s undulating sequences against the lo-fi techno producer’s scuffed textures.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
Yellow roach powder covered the scuffed parquet floors and coated the tongue of Masha the cat, who roamed freely through the complex.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
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
Here, both are completely dismantled and scuffed to the point of being barely recognizable.
—Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 7 Mar. 2026
College football is in chaos, its clothes disheveled, shirttail out, shoes expensive, Italian-made, but scuffed.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2025
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
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
Years of wear and tear had scuffed the walls.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffed
Verb
-
Most of them were spent on the third defensive pairing, and then the 22-year-old was scratched for Tyson Hinds late in the year as Quenneville favored the size of Hinds, who spent most of his season in the American Hockey League.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
Replace scratched non-stick pans with cast iron, stainless steel or ceramic cookware.—
Ryan Brennan
May 11,
Miami Herald,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Shielded by her team, Cardi B shuffled out to the street, a blob of black nylon.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
Women in America’s boardrooms made strides as corporations shuffled their mostly White and male lineups in the face of the historic pushback in 2020.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
These Italian suede sneakers feature a durable gum sole that’s perfect for a long day of walking without tripping over cobblestones or uneven pavement.—
Melony Forcier,
Travel + Leisure,
14 May 2026
-
Elsewhere, shopping was uneven.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
At four thirty, pink streaks the sky, like the time mama stepped on the brakes too fast at an intersection and the tires scraped the road black.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Brazil beat the Netherlands 3–2 in the quarterfinals and scraped past Sweden 1–0 in the semifinals thanks to a goal from forward Romário.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Rollins repeatedly stomped Breakker in the face and lined up for The Stomp, but Breakker countered, grabbed Rollins’ foot and hit a military press into a gutbuster.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
-
Guest shark Rashaun Williams strapped on his court shoes, wiped them on their mini mat and stomped onto their court.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Investigators suspect 16-year-old Star Grant and a 28-year-old accomplice killed the girl’s parents and grandmother on May 1 – six days before deputies stumbled onto the crime during a May 7 welfare check, the warrant states.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
13 May 2026
-
The chain had steady growth in 2024, but seems to have stumbled in California.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scuffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffed. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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