hen scratch

noun

as in scratch

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hen scratch
  1. scratch
  2. scribble
  3. scrawl
  4. handwriting
Noun
  • Jena Johnson’s daughter can expect one heckuva wedding after lottery officials said the Chatham County middle school teacher won a $10 million jackpot on a North Carolina scratch-off ticket.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Three of the jail guards sustained minor injuries and scratches, Bland said.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of scratch
Noun
  • But autos were precarious contraptions at the start of the 20th century, and America’s national system of roads was little more than a faint scribble on the map.
    — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Some three hours into the four-hour drive, the road plunged into a dizzying scribble of hairpin bends, eventually spitting us out into the Colca Valley, where, at the end of 2023, Andean pitched up Puqio.
    — Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026
Definition of scribble
Noun
  • At the center of it all is an FBI agent’s handwritten scrawl, detailing an alleged murder confession by a man who is missing and widely believed to have been murdered.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The script is usually written in a nameless scrawl.
    — John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
Definition of scrawl
Noun
  • Decades later, Denise Epstein opened a leather case of her mother’s and discovered a manuscript set forth in tiny handwriting.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The sticker will feature a butterfly — an image that Parton had long used in her logos — with the singer’s first name in her handwriting in the middle, all in Tennessee orange and white.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of handwriting
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.

Browse Nearby Words

henpecks
hen scratch
hen scratches
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hen scratch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hen%20scratch. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All