SCRAPPY Synonyms: 147 Similar and Opposite Words

scrappy

adjective

Definition of scrappy

as in aggressive

feeling or displaying eagerness to fight she was a scrappy girl despite—or, perhaps, because of—her small size

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in controversial

given to arguing a pair of scrappy movie critics who can never agree on anything

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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 scrappy When zombies attack their high school, a group of scrappy theater kids realizes that their only hope for survival is to put on the greatest musical of their lives. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026 The customers on Transporter-18 ranged from tech powerhouses like Google to scrappy startups like Starfish Space, alongside top remote sensing companies such as Planet Labs and ICEYE. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026 For Adult Swim’s 25th anniversary, IndieWire traced the scrappy and subversive sensibility that turned a ballsy experiment into one of TV’s most influential brands and, for folks like me, a meaningful ritual. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2026 An early home test against a scrappy underdog can be an important wake-up call before Missouri faces surging Mississippi State to start SEC play. — Pj Green september 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scrappy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrappy

Adjective

Bam Adebayo wasn’t aggressive enough on the offensive side of the ball, which has been a consistent story line of his nine-year NBA career.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
On a network like this, rule-breaking often isn’t aggressive at all.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of aggressive

Adjective

But Lamont says the consumers are actually paying less this year than last year due to the complicated nuances of the controversial public benefits charges.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026
The agency has become controversial over aggressive immigration enforcement tactics that precipitated a government shutdown earlier this year.

— David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of controversial

Adjective

Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, while Conservative David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the militant Islamic State group.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Labor lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, while Conservative David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the militant Islamic State group.

— Rod McGuirk, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of militant

Adjective

This issue is particularly relevant in California, where billionaire wealth is often tied to technology companies, startup equity and other illiquid assets whose valuations can fluctuate sharply and become contentious.

— Trevor Laurence Jockims, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
It was conceived following months of extensive negotiation that grew contentious at times between Zuckerberg and board members, including DoorDash CEO Tony Xu, Ambassador Robert Kimmitt, and ex-Microsoft executive Charles Songhurst.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of contentious

Adjective

About 70% of the members of Brazil’s lower house and 80% of the Senate are considered to be hostile to environmental and climate agendas, according to the observatory.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
In a turnabout from Orbán’s hostile approach to Kyiv, Magyar’s government has expressed solidarity with Ukraine and designated Russia a national security threat.

— Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of hostile

Adjective

Speaking a few weeks after the launch of Tom Cruise-starring satirical polemic Digger, Wishart feels docs and features about this subject matter have become overly preachy.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026
The title that evokes Ernest Hemingway points at the polemical nature of some of the essays in the book.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of polemical

Adjective

Good Bull Outdoors shared a video this week on Instagram of a pair of massive elk locking antlers in a feisty scrap in Colorado.

— David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
There was already a tense relationship between the sides off the pitch and a feisty one on it, with both competing for honours over the last few years.

— Tim Spiers, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of feisty

Adjective

An honor that seems to bring things full circle for that stubborn little girl who dreamed of performing on stages around the world from her farm.

— Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026
How To Remove Leaf Stains With Chlorine Bleach Bleach is very effective at removing stubborn leaf stains, along with mildew and moss.

— Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of stubborn

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“Scrappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrappy. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of scrappy

adjective

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