scratched

verb

past tense of scratch
1
as in scraped
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 grated
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface the branches of the willow tree scratch against the windowpane whenever the wind blows

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in scribbled
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 scratched Atlanta scratched across three runs against a shaky Blake Snell and a parade of Dodgers relievers, while Ray Kerr and Didier Fuentes, among others, held the powerful LA lineup to just two. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 San Jose Sharks star center Macklin Celebrini was scratched from the team's lineup at the Dallas Stars on Monday night because of a lower-body injury, and coach Ryan Warsofsky said the 20-year-old face of the franchise was still being evaluated. — CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 Other issues are scratched, damaged, or overly polished watches sold as mint, sellers who disappear after receiving payment, and shill bidding at online auctions. — Joe D'allegro, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026 The fight was so violent that each one of them punched, scratched, bit and slapped the other, Linhardt said. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026 Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno won the NL batting title despite being scratched about an hour before first pitch with a sore hamstring. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026 Sure, plastic kitchenware can be cost-effective up front, but repeatedly replacing staples that have warped, scratched, or held onto lingering odors adds up over time. — Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2026 In one of these journals, called Notebook B, there is an incidental sketch, a few scratched lines like the barren twigs of a winter tree. — Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026 Officials said another woman fought back during an attack and scratched Davis, leaving DNA beneath her fingernails. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratched
  1. scraped
  2. grated
  3. scribbled
  4. scrawled
Verb
  • Her car was found the following day with the decal for her tanning business scraped off the window, and her cellphone was recovered from a lake south of Orlando, according to police.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Here’s a guy who scraped his dollars together, came to the club, and out of all the people there, he gets pulled on stage by Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
    — Christine Imarenezor, VIBE.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of scraped
Verb
  • Parmesan, finely grated (about 2 cups), in a large bowl to combine; measure out 1 cup cheese and set aside for topping.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Some versions are sold as wedges, while others are finely grated and packaged for easy sprinkling over spaghetti or casseroles.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of grated
Verb
  • The messages, scribbled on whatever scrap of paper a sender could find, often featured misspellings and shaky penmanship; many older residents of rural areas did not know how to read or write well, if at all.
    — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • At Dries Van Noten, Thomas de Kluyver scribbled inky liner into the hollows of eyes and just under the lash line.
    — Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of scribbled
Verb
  • Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and xAI’s Elon Musk scrawled their names in erratic cursive.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The show is arranged in eight parts and begins with a large white wall at the entrance with the title of the show scrawled in RM’s handwriting.
    — Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of scrawled

Browse Nearby Words

scratch
scratched
scratched (out)
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Cite this Entry

“Scratched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratched. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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