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
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 scuffed
Alex Ritman, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Just rub the inside of the peel on your scuffed shoes or on hardwood floors.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 10 Feb. 2026
Sprinkle scouring powder over scuffed areas of the dish.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
Some of Chelsea’s other successful corner routines haven’t been quite as neat, with a series of half-clearances and scuffed contacts forcing scraps in the six-yard box before other teammates could apply the finishing touch.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
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
Grint wrote a letter to Alistair Stout, the youngster stepping into Ron’s scuffed school shoes.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Just rub the inside of the peel on your scuffed shoes or on hardwood floors.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 10 Feb. 2026
Sprinkle scouring powder over scuffed areas of the dish.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
Some of Chelsea’s other successful corner routines haven’t been quite as neat, with a series of half-clearances and scuffed contacts forcing scraps in the six-yard box before other teammates could apply the finishing touch.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
-
Carlos Narvaez is also back in the lineup at catcher after he was scratched from Tuesday’s lineup with back tightness.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
-
At one point or another, everything in life gets nicked, scratched or broken — even our relationships.—
Barton Goldsmith,
AJC.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
While those votes are ongoing, expect bill language to be shuffled in and out of bills as lawmakers scramble to find homes for their priorities in the final hours.—
Kaitlin Lange,
IndyStar,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Ford has since shuffled the packages around in a 2025 consolidation that will go down as the closest thing the new Bronco received to a mid-cycle refresh.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Heating elements must survive high temperatures, constant airflow and uneven heat distribution.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
-
But employer coverage of obesity drugs remains uneven due to high costs, leaving roughly half of people with commercial insurance unable to start or stay on treatment, Lilly said in a release.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The restorer suspected a later 19th-century addition and carefully scraped back a corner to see what lay beneath.—
Mark Ellwood,
Robb Report,
1 Mar. 2026
-
This material has been scraped, copied and reused with no common standards to enable permission or payment, weakening the economic model that supports journalism.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There were some cool stunts which traveled around the world, read in Italy Ghostface was stomped in the snow, Ghostface artwork and trailers were projected on major landmarks around the world, and there was a Scream house in the UK.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
1 Mar. 2026
-
On her final attempt, Gu stomped a left double-cork 1260 with a toxic grab, vaulting from sixth place into silver-medal position.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The drunk boys urinated on the property, threw up in the backyard and stumbled and fell on the patio, the documents state.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The girls were found Monday evening by a dog walker who stumbled across the first body in the vicinity of East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue, near an all-boys public school called the Ginn Academy School, and called the police.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scuffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffed. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
