1
as in scratching
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 shuffling
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 scuffing
Wagner wasn’t as fortunate with his 7-iron shot, pulling it left into the rough (and scuffing the bottom of his club).
—
Jay Posner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
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
The slate coasters feature little pads to keep the smooth, rock material from scuffing your table.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
Remove shoes while in the house to avoid scuffing up baseboards and floors.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
Keep shoes in separate bags Avoid scuffing trainers or damaging heels in your suitcase by packing them in shoe bags.
—Lauren Burvill, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2023
Jay Posner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
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
The slate coasters feature little pads to keep the smooth, rock material from scuffing your table.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
Remove shoes while in the house to avoid scuffing up baseboards and floors.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
Keep shoes in separate bags Avoid scuffing trainers or damaging heels in your suitcase by packing them in shoe bags.
—Lauren Burvill, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffing
Verb
-
Not quite eucalyptus, but these bamboo sheets, found on Amazon, won’t leave you scratching or itching.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
10 Apr. 2026
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The Dolphins’ 2019 decision to sign Ryan Fitzpatrick — instead of a lesser quarterback — and then trade for Josh Rosen and not play him, during a season when snagging the first pick was an organizational priority, would top my list of head-scratching decisions.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Bruins are shuffling off to Buffalo.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
15 Apr. 2026
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The Philadelphia Phillies are shuffling up the bullpen by sending Seth Johnson back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and recalling Chase Shugart from the IronPigs.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In photo after photo, video after video, North Shore residents are painted in mud, scraping it off driveways, sweeping it out of kitchens and heaving it into trucks along with their household debris.—
Thomas Heaton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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Process for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is smooth and sticky.—
Laura Mclively,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That’s the sound of clogs slowly stomping back into the spotlight.—
Andrea Zendejas,
Vogue,
5 Apr. 2026
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For pretty much every gamer alive today, those first few notes induce an almost Pavlovian response — sparking an urge to grab a controller on your lap that isn’t actually there and bringing to mind comfortable, warm memories of stomping Goombas and riding Yoshi on a quest to save Princess Peach.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lina cried out, stumbling backward.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Unlike the blue plaques affixed to residences in London, which indicate where notable figures once lived, or the Stolpersteine (or stumbling stones) embedded in the sidewalks of German cities to mark the former homes of Holocaust victims, Bucharest’s red disks are not commemorative but predictive.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scuffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffing. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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