scrawls 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of scrawl
as in scribbles
to write or draw hastily or carelessly scrawled a quick note, stuck it in their mailbox, and hurried off

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

scrawls

2 of 2

noun

plural of scrawl
as in scratches

Related Words

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 scrawls
Verb
Hope scrawls a single word on the paper and folds it up. — Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrawls
  1. scribbles
  2. scratches
Verb
  • But when Ava makes a bathroom trip, Deb hastily scribbles something in her notepad.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 29 May 2026
  • More tournaments to come While Yount has developed a near-superpower of watching 12 mats at once, Smith, for the most part, relaxes in his seat and enjoys the show at Ball Arena while Yount scribbles on his brackets.
    — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
Definition of scribbles
Noun
  • Dolly Parton’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star was vandalized with multiple scratches, just days after the country music icon was laid to rest.
    — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The stoneware resists chips, scratches, and stains, and everything is dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.
    — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of scratches

Browse Nearby Words

scrawling
scrawls
scrawniness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scrawls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrawls. Accessed 5 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!

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