1
as in metallic
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1
as in scraping
to damage by rubbing against a sharp or rough surface
scratched his arm on a branch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in scribbling
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
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Recent Examples of scratching
Elaine Rewolinski, jsonline.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Florida shooting guard Xavian Lee’s indecision culminated in a coast-to-coast sequence that ended in a head-scratching turnover instead of a potential game-winner.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
This will reduce the risk of scratching your floors or the finish on top.
—Dan Simms, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Modern cosmic data analysis faces some truly head-scratching algorithmic challenges, demanding not just cleverness, but brand-new ways to hunt for answers across vast conceptual spaces.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 22 Mar. 2026
The wild card for Milwaukee is Jacob Misiorowski, one of the most talented young arms in the game who is still just scratching the surface of his potential.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
Several towns are already instituting water restrictions leaving many residents scratching their heads.
—Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Look for any evidence of peeling or scratching before applying the cleaner to a larger surface.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026
And that's just scratching the surface!
—Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
Eggs may be dyed one color, with designs created by scratching the egg with a sharp tool to reveal the white eggshell beneath.
—Elaine Rewolinski, jsonline.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Florida shooting guard Xavian Lee’s indecision culminated in a coast-to-coast sequence that ended in a head-scratching turnover instead of a potential game-winner.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
This will reduce the risk of scratching your floors or the finish on top.
—Dan Simms, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Modern cosmic data analysis faces some truly head-scratching algorithmic challenges, demanding not just cleverness, but brand-new ways to hunt for answers across vast conceptual spaces.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 22 Mar. 2026
The wild card for Milwaukee is Jacob Misiorowski, one of the most talented young arms in the game who is still just scratching the surface of his potential.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
Several towns are already instituting water restrictions leaving many residents scratching their heads.
—Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Look for any evidence of peeling or scratching before applying the cleaner to a larger surface.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026
And that's just scratching the surface!
—Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratching
Adjective
-
The other form, metallic palladium (Pd⁰), takes over afterward, hydrogenating the resulting fragments into stable compounds like cyclohexanol and cyclohexane.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Mar. 2026
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Something else that supports the hypothesis that recent meteors have been larger than usual is the prevalence of sonic booms — loud, explosive sounds caused by shockwaves when meteoroids, small rocky or metallic bodies from space, penetrate deeper into the Earth's atmosphere than usual.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The green Rio Grande rests like a ribbon in the jaws of jagged canyons.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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The first was a gentle bell curve; the second was a jagged line, with two sharp peaks—one on the left, the other on the right.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There are 617 McDonald's restaurants in Ohio, according to the web scraping tool ScrapeHero.—
Mike Snider,
USA TODAY,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Purée until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.—
Gretchen McKay,
Twin Cities,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The slightly higher cut helps prevent sneakers from rubbing your ankle or the top of your foot.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
31 Mar. 2026
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So, the timing for Mortensen to be making his second show debut right as his ex’s is being pulled off the air is rubbing fans the wrong way.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The customs officer began speaking to me very fast and pointing—the translator scribbling down notes all the while.—
Jeremy O. Harris,
Vanity Fair,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Lanier leaned on his down-home Texas folksiness throughout the trial, telling the jury what was on his heart and scribbling with grease pencil on his demonstrative aids.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The chaos is still an acceptable price to pay for Birney’s expertly offputting performance, a shrill mania that gets increasingly comic over time.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
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Some cymbal hits came across as slightly shrill thanks to the high-mid emphasis.—
Christian de Looper,
PC Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The act of scrawling them upon the page is tangible and pleasing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Nov. 2025
-
Chalamet invites his Instagram followers to meet him at Regal Times Square to watch the first 30 minutes of Marty Supreme by scrawling the message on his Instagram Story in orange.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Her part, like that of Alice in Barry’s previous opera, is enlivened by delightfully squeaky high notes in unexpected places.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
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The young woman known for a squeaky voice similar to Minnie Mouse left behind not only her weeks old son, but a large family with 15 siblings, many aunts and uncles, a father and stepfather and mother who many say was her best friend and constant companion.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scratching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratching. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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