scratch 1 of 2

noun

Definition of scratchnext
1
as in scrape
a harsh grating sound the scratch of metal on metal is not a good sound for a car to make

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in money
slang something (as pieces of stamped metal or printed paper) customarily and legally used as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment she treated her buddies to a drink whenever she had the scratch for it

Synonyms & Similar Words

scratch

2 of 2

verb

ˈskrach How to pronounce scratch (audio)
1
as in to scrape
to damage by rubbing against a sharp or rough surface scratched his arm on a branch

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to rub
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface the branches of the willow tree scratch against the windowpane whenever the wind blows

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to scribble
to write or draw hastily or carelessly scratched a quick doodle in the margins

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 scratch
Noun
Olight says the Amber Orange finish uses a multi-step anodizing process intended to improve scratch resistance. — Connie Etemadi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026 For scratches or minor dings from fender benders, owners can replace the exterior body panels themselves. — Eric Bangeman, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
Test the plant’s health by lightly scratching the woody stems—healthy tissue beneath the bark will typically look green. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 9 Oct. 2026 Atlanta scratched across three runs against a shaky Blake Snell and a parade of Dodgers relievers, while Ray Kerr and Didier Fuentes, among others, held the powerful LA lineup to just two. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scratch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratch
  1. scrape
  2. money
  3. rub
  4. scribble
  5. creak
  6. cash
  7. write
  8. coin
Noun
  • The Missouri researcher has captured and analyzed hundreds of thousands of trail-camera images over the years, with many of the best shots coming at scrapes doctored with a variety of scents and lures.
    — Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Memory is not so much a flow, sometimes, as a series of bumps and scrapes.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of scrape
Noun
  • Higher mortgage rates are also giving buyers leverage to press sellers for money to buy down their rate for a few years or for the life of the loan, reducing their overall borrowing costs.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The halftime show began in partnership with The Salvation Army in 1997 as a way to raise money for the long-standing charity.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of money
Verb
  • The discovery was made Wednesday in the Hickory Ridge area of east Charlotte, and responding officers report a man drenched in sweat tried to rub them down with garlic and bite them, according to an affidavit.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
  • True, but there are other issues that rubbed me the wrong way (sorry).
    — Valerie Monroe, Allure, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of rub
Verb
  • Jonas even gave his number to Hadid’s mother, scribbled on a piece of paper.
    — Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The messages, scribbled on whatever scrap of paper a sender could find, often featured misspellings and shaky penmanship; many older residents of rural areas did not know how to read or write well, if at all.
    — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of scribble
Noun
  • The distressed creak of nylon straps as the second coffin was lowered into the grave brought me back to the now.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Which, aurally, lies somewhere between a door creak and an ass smack.
    — Jason Sheeler, InStyle, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of creak
Noun
  • For founders sitting atop a mountain of stock, that beats selling shares, paying tax, and then giving away the cash.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Strategists in both parties said that this redistricting scramble has changed how donors are being approached for state legislative races — rarely the first places where the largest political funders send their cash.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of cash
Verb
  • Khalilzad on Friday wrote on X that there had been reports of Pakistan arming Afghans to fight the Taliban inside Afghanistan and of the Pakistani military recruiting Afghans to fight anti-Pakistan insurgents.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Inspiring others In 1981, Runner’s World magazine published an article that Godby wrote about his 1978 run.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of write
Noun
  • For instance, the outcome of a coin toss seems random at first.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • As a character Chigurh is particularly illustrative of this worldview, often reducing the fate of other characters to a coin toss.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of coin

Phrases Containing scratch

Browse Nearby Words

scraps
scratch
scratched
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Cite this Entry

“Scratch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratch. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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