often attributive
1
scraps plural
: fragments of discarded or leftover food
2
a
: a small detached piece
a scrap of paper
b
: a fragment of something written, printed, or spoken
scraps of conversation
c
: the least bit
not a scrap of evidence
3
4
a
: fragments of stock removed in manufacturing
b
: manufactured articles or parts rejected or discarded and useful only as material for reprocessing
especially
: waste and discarded metal
scrapped; scrapping
1
: to convert into scrap
2
: to abandon or get rid of as no longer of enough worth or effectiveness to retain
scrap outworn methods
Synonyms
Noun (1)
Verb (1)
- cashier
- cast (off)
- chuck
- deep-six
- discard
- ditch
- dump
- eighty-six
- 86
- exorcise
- exorcize
- fling (off or away)
- jettison
- junk
- lay by
- lose
- pitch
- reject
- shed
- shuck (off)
- slough (off)
- sluff (off)
- throw away
- throw out
- toss
- unload
Noun (2)
- altercation
- argle-bargle [chiefly British]
- argument
- argy-bargy [chiefly British]
- battle royal
- bicker
- brawl
- contretemps
- controversy
- cross fire
- disagreement
- dispute
- donnybrook
- falling-out
- fight
- hassle
- imbroglio
- kickup
- misunderstanding
- quarrel
- rhubarb
- row
- set-to
- spat
- squabble
- tiff
- wrangle
Verb (2)
Examples of scrap in a Sentence
Noun (1)
only a scrap of silk was left on the sewing table after they had finished the project
a scrap of paper fluttered to the floor
brushed away a scrap of lint
the rest of this stuff is just scrap, so sweep it up and throw it away
Verb (1)
we've decided to scrap the second car
we scrapped our plans to go to Paris, and set out the next day for Prague
Noun (2)
the state legislature's annual scrap over the budget
several drunken revelers were involved in a scrap outside of the nightclub
Verb (2)
the young couple often scrapped about money and their very disparate spending habits
Recent Examples on the Web
Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
But back in 2010, a spate of thefts of the covers for scrap metal in Turkey meant that an alternative, with equally strong material needed to be used to secure them.
—Lucy Handley, CNBC, 17 Jan. 2025
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Jan. 2025
After Jean Smart posted on Instagram that Hollywood needs to scrap awards shows and figure out how to generate revenue for fire victims instead, former lead stage manager Debbie Williams had a few choice words for the Hacks star via Facebook.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for scrap 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Farm waste such as chicken manure, weeds, and other scraps are transformed into nutrient-rich organic fertilizers.
—Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
But back in 2010, a spate of thefts of the covers for scrap metal in Turkey meant that an alternative, with equally strong material needed to be used to secure them.
—Lucy Handley, CNBC, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
North Carolina’s bill was met with such anger on behalf of the LGBTQ community that some elements were quickly scrapped, and the remainder was left to lapse in 2020.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Jan. 2025
After Jean Smart posted on Instagram that Hollywood needs to scrap awards shows and figure out how to generate revenue for fire victims instead, former lead stage manager Debbie Williams had a few choice words for the Hacks star via Facebook.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for scrap
Dictionary Entries Near scrap
Cite this Entry
“Scrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrap. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scrap
2 of 4 verb
scrapped; scrapping
1
: to break up into scrap
2
: to discard as worthless
scrap
3 of 4 nounEtymology
Noun
Middle English scrap "discarded bits of food"; of Norse origin
Noun
origin unknown
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