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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples 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
And that's just scratching the surface. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024 To his credit, Richardson owned his mistake after scratching Hall without first talking to the veteran. Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 6 Dec. 2024 Though the lower leagues don’t have the same publicity as La Liga, the country’s soccer caliber is so high and the culture so rich that scratching beneath the surface to get your hands on a third-level outfit, which Antequera is, is a clever ploy. Henry Flynn, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024 But these sibling name sets take head-scratching thematic naming to an entirely new level. Melissa Willets, Parents, 5 Dec. 2024 And yet, this team is just scratching the surface. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Dec. 2024 That’s because Tomlin’s work with Pickens and Herbig here was undoubtedly only scratching the surface of his coaching and mentorship. Robert Zeglinski, For The Win, 4 Dec. 2024 Rehashing a feud that wasn’t all that exciting to begin with is a head-scratching booking decision, especially given that most WWE PPVs now have incredibly limited spots on the card. Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024 She had been heard scratching and barking, after over a week inside a shipping container at the Port of Houston. Scott Simon, NPR, 30 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratching
Adjective
  • The star accessorized with gold wrist cuffs. 07 of 23 Kelly Rowland Kelly Rowland got the metallic memo at the The Critics Choice Association's 7th Annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television in L.A.
    Catherine Santino, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Mix them with iridescent ball ornaments, metallic ball garland, and paper chains for a plentiful tree.
    Amy Panos, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The picture depicts a bustling market of shoppers and vendors, with a jagged line reminiscent of those on graphs winding through the stalls.
    Leslie Katz, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Instead, vascular dementia began to take her down precipitously, mentally and physically, in jagged, irregular steps.
    Bellamy Young, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • To remove tree sap stains, start by scraping off as much residue as possible using a dull knife.
    Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Givens opened the door and jumped out, rolling onto the street, badly scraping her arms, legs and stomach.
    John Diedrich, Journal Sentinel, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Like, watched it all the way through from the shrill opening filled with obnoxious kids to the leadenly staged slapstick climax?
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
  • Further down the road, another piper — just playing to play — is sending his shrill notes out into the night sky.
    Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 5 July 2024
Adjective
  • The higher strings aren’t quite as piercing but still shine through.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 6 Dec. 2024
  • Some of the most piercing instances in Emilia’s journey rely on Audiard’s penchant for indelible imagery.
    Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024
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
  • The Juan Soto sweepstakes came to a screeching halt late Sunday night.
    Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Taurus April 20 – May 20 Speeding through life might be setting you up for a screeching halt.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • In a childcare montage near the film’s beginning, for instance, Heller wanted to capture how jarring ordinary moments can be when you’re sleep-deprived and stuck with a toddler.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 6 Dec. 2024
  • All the meticulous character development of Season 1 has gone out the window, and we’re left with rather jarring leaps instead.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near scratching

Cite this Entry

“Scratching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratching. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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