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
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Use natural cleaners like baking soda and vinegar to safely remove stains and grime without scratching the surface.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
7 Mar. 2026
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Counsell, Hottovy, team president Jed Hoyer and many others in the organization believe that Cabrera was just scratching the surface last season.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The shuffling sound quickened and the puzzlers’ hands sped up.—
Lia Picard,
AJC.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Some line shuffling by Warsofsky worked.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The wet-look bob By scraping hair away from the face and gathering it at the back of the head, a slick wet-look bob is a chic way to disguise thinning hair.—
Fiona Embleton,
Glamour,
6 Mar. 2026
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There are 617 McDonald's restaurants in Ohio, according to the web scraping tool ScrapeHero.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
So, let’s circle back to the original question on stomping.—
Adam Cohen,
Oklahoman,
3 Mar. 2026
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The goal will change depending on the game — whether that’s collecting tokens, moving pieces on a board, stomping Goombas, or putting a ball in a hoop hanging 10 feet above the ground.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Yas is not stumbling into evil unwittingly or being forced by circumstance.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
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Surveillance video from that night shows a man wearing a Blackhawks jersey entering the store, then stumbling out before a struggle spilled into the street.—
Darius Johnson,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scuffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffing. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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