scratching 1 of 2

scratching

2 of 2

verb

present participle of scratch
1
as in scraping
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 rubbing
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 scribbling
to write or draw hastily or carelessly scratched a quick doodle in the margins

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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 scratching
Verb
But that’s just scratching the surface – addressing only the symptoms of the underlying challenges and only addressing them at the end of the SDLC process. Jeremy Vaughan, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024 Similar to a sheet pan, whole meals can be built in a Dutch oven, scratching that same itch for convenience and less clean up. Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2024 By scratching beneath the surface to uncover these positive attributes, spies are able to forge connections with even the most seemingly reprehensible individuals. Jeremy Hurewitz, TIME, 21 Dec. 2024 Elf is a modern Christmas classic, but one of its most head-scratching yet hilarious moments almost ended up on the cutting room floor. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024 Much information can be gleaned from a natal chart, like astrology’s Big Three—the Sun, Moon and Rising (or Ascendant) signs—and this is just scratching the surface. Jessica Ourisman, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024 But these forms of AI are only scratching the surface of what’s possible. Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN, 19 Dec. 2024 Despite being heavier than plastic or acrylic, glass is easier to clean without scratching, though plastic containers can also work. Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 19 Dec. 2024 And that's just scratching the surface. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratching
Adjective
  • Think: her metallic foil fringe hairdo at 2019’s Way Out West Festival or literally any of her front row fashion week looks.
    India Espy-Jones, Essence, 26 Feb. 2025
  • To toughen yours up, add edgy accessories like lug-sole boots, a metallic top-handle bag, and an oversized black coat.
    Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Sea oats and fir trees dance in the breeze as seagulls squawk in a bright blue sky and the mighty Pacific crashes against the jagged shoreline a few dozen yards away.
    Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 12 Feb. 2025
  • The neck’s jagged base suggests that the head was torn from a larger, perhaps full-length figure, but the sculpture reveals almost no other significant damage.
    Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Helped by the transaxle layout, the massive power gains, and sublime styling inside and out, the Vantage also requires less of the sacrifices dictated by low-slung mid-engine supercars that demand constant vigilance to avoid scraping on speed bumps, rough canyon roads, or driveways.
    Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
  • The scraping sensations shouldn't be painful but may feel slightly uncomfortable.
    Carley Millhone, Health, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Shakespeare’s play assumes the shrieks and shrill cries of a B-movie.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Crucially, there’s very little reason to care about how Simon and Claire will take the break-ups, when both are such unbearably shrill stereotypes.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Only Jean-Baptiste could make such a screed so funny, so piercing and so devastating.
    Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 10 Jan. 2025
  • The two-story space offers a piercing and welding studio, as well as free engravings.
    Violet Goldstone, WWD, 2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • His political opponents viewed him as grating, uncooperative, and at times dogmatic.
    Daniel R. DePetris, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024
  • Find it on Amazon Save Dishes With This Hand Grater This Hand Grater has three grating surfaces, a non-slip base, measurements, and a vegetable peeler.
    Hannah Rice, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Most notably, the tournament’s championship game between Charles Barkley’s team and Shaquille O’Neal’s came to a screeching halt after five minutes of play.
    Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2025
  • On the contrary, the movie fatally overestimates the appeal of its monsters and their habitat, and the fun comes to a screeching halt when our characters plunge into the Gorge itself and begin to learn the truth about what their governments have been trying to hide.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Just as jarring, in my view, has been Trump’s embrace of Putin-like tactics at home, a hallmark of his return to power which has unfolded with a speed and ferocity far different than what Trump was able to pull off in his first term.
    Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Turning the zoom dial too quickly creates a jarring effect, but a slower, steadier touch results in smooth footage.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 18 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Scratching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratching. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

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