1
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
2
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
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Recent Examples of scrappy
In a new trailer for the fifth and final season, the scrappy Chicago kitchen crew pull themselves together in the immediate aftermath of head chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) hanging up his apron and leaving behind the food industry.
—
Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026
Here, consumerism, the fashion industry, and the cruel state meet a scrappy protagonist.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
Listening to Badham revisit the making of Saturday Night Fever now, what emerges is not the polished mythology that has accumulated around the movie over the decades but something scrappier, stranger and much more human.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2026
The startup mentality can often be scrappy, and the AI tools available at the moment make the lure of custom builds all the more tempting.
—Emma Westley, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scrappy
Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026
Here, consumerism, the fashion industry, and the cruel state meet a scrappy protagonist.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
Listening to Badham revisit the making of Saturday Night Fever now, what emerges is not the polished mythology that has accumulated around the movie over the decades but something scrappier, stranger and much more human.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2026
The startup mentality can often be scrappy, and the AI tools available at the moment make the lure of custom builds all the more tempting.
—Emma Westley, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scrappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrappy
Adjective
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That was a fun one, with both teams staying aggressive throughout the match.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
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That more aggressive posture has been exemplified in Lewis George's smaller jousts with the mayor over housing and public safety policies, too.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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Among them was a December 2024 lesson about Christmas that featured Zwarte Piet, or Black Pete, a controversial Dutch holiday character known as a helper to Santa Claus who is depicted with exaggerated, racist physical features — including large red lips.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
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The Australian social media ban has been controversial, with American tech giants unsurprisingly reacting with alarm.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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Trump’s birthday began with a new round of Israeli military strikes in Beirut, which the country said was in response to projectiles fired by the militant group Hezbollah at Israel.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
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Israel’s military said the militant group launched three projectiles, releasing video in which an audible boom was followed by rising smoke.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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Republicans decry fraud while Democrats worry about hunger SNAP’s new rules remain contentious in Congress.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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This has proven to be a contentious change for myriad reasons.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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But if his intention is a quick rate cut, the new chairman might be entering a hostile work environment.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
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French, American, British and other naval crews already have experience of escorting civilian ships through hostile fire in the region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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In her account, Richmond indeed emerges as its progenitor—through his theorizing, his behind-the-scenes parliamentary and polemical maneuvering, and his patronage of Thomas Paine.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
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The slapstick titles—Crackned Horsez, To of Them, Ape Island, all 1972—further stymied any straightforwardly polemical takeaway.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Meanwhile, Jordan’s players walked toward the stadium’s south end, applauding as their fan base waved flags in approval for a feisty debut.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
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Her rich gentle voice powers songs reminiscent of Kate Bush, Sarah Harmer and Feist, though a feistier Feist.—
Michael Hollett,
SPIN,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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But La Roja could not find a way past Vozinha and a stubborn defense that had an answer to everything Spain’s superstars threw at them.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
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Meanwhile, Hanks invests the vulnerable but stubborn Woody with a delectable senior resilience.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrappy. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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