1
as in to scratch
to damage by rubbing against a sharp or rough surface
scuffed up her shoes by rubbing her feet under the rung of the chair
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
the miners scuffed past in heavy boots
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scuff
Pol Ballús, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
Every detail of this record has been labored over, polished, and scuffed up, yet the greasy light of mortal emotion shines through.
—Pitchfork, 3 Dec. 2024
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2024
How to Remove Scuff Marks from Leather Most scuff marks on leather clothing and accessories will come out after cleaning and buffing a small amount of conditioner into the leather.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scuff 
Verb
Pedri then opened the scoring before Fermin Lopez missed a chance early in the second half to make it 2-0, scuffing his shot as Oblak saved.
—Pol Ballús, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
Every detail of this record has been labored over, polished, and scuffed up, yet the greasy light of mortal emotion shines through.
—Pitchfork, 3 Dec. 2024
Noun
The one area to avoid, though, is using them to clean scuffs off walls.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2024
How to Remove Scuff Marks from Leather Most scuff marks on leather clothing and accessories will come out after cleaning and buffing a small amount of conditioner into the leather.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scuff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuff
Verb
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For seeds with a hard seed coat, scraping them on 150-grit sandpaper scratches the seed coat enough to allow the seed to soak up or imbibe water.—
Markis Hill,
Kansas City Star,
17 Jan. 2025
-
Many lawyers are also scratching their heads over Drake’s case.—
Justin Curto,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
As he’s been awaiting trial in Charlotte since his arrest in 2012 on a first-degree murder charge, Perkins has been shuffled between the Mecklenburg County jail, Broughton Hospital, Central Prison, and Central Regional Hospital dozens of times.—
Kallie Cox,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Jan. 2025
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His defensive concentration — happy to shuffle players out wide and contain them in one-v-one duels — makes Reis an interesting potential option as a right-back for Guardiola, who often opts for four centre-backs across the defence.—
Thom Harris,
The Athletic,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Gracey gets an astonishing amount across in the details: the goofy creak of a leather jumpsuit, a camera angle tilted to show the utterly unspectacular pulley system that yanked Williams upside-down in front of a crowd of 125,000.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Dec. 2024
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The chapel was so old that creaks shuttered across the floor like lightning.—
Nicolette Polek,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Apr. 2024
Verb
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The Colorado Department of Transportation’s statewide map showed all interstate and major state highways open as of 10:30 a.m., with dozens of plows busy scraping roadways.—
Max Levy,
The Denver Post,
18 Jan. 2025
-
The question scraped against a specific insecurity that can get lodged inside women who are told that our worth is tied to our marriageability.—
Devon Fredericksen,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Now, a group of penguins in Australia are stomping all over their love-bird reputation through cheating scandals and divorce — and wildlife experts are worried.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
21 Jan. 2025
-
The Ravens stomped the visiting Bills, 35-10, in Week 4.—
Jeff Howe,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Villanueva has a powerful voice and a feel for Tina's growls, rasps and embellishments.—
Jim Higgins,
Journal Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2024
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Through seven presidential administrations, his edgy rasp essayed the perfect pitch of national incredulity, always with subtle phrasing and precise shading.—
Isaac Butler,
The New Yorker,
6 Nov. 2024
Verb
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During his Inauguration performance, Billy Ray seemed to stumble through his performance with major technical difficulties.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
23 Jan. 2025
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So what if Soderbergh’s latest attempt to blaze a new path in storytelling stumbles a bit?—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near scuff
Cite this Entry
“Scuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuff. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
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