scuff 1 of 2

verb

ˈskəf How to pronounce scuff (audio)
Definition of scuffnext
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

scuff

2 of 2

noun

as in scratch

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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 scuff
Verb
Bootleg’s production deepens the sense of mystery, cranking the reverb and scuffing the surfaces. — Jude Noel, Pitchfork, 22 July 2026 Kostyuk raised her hands and dropped to her knees after Paolini scuffed a shot on her second match point. — ABC News, 8 July 2026
Noun
Painted Walls Walls get dirty easily, from fingerprints from children’s sticky hands to scuff marks from furniture. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 24 Aug. 2026 At the end of the day those new black sneakers had a white scuff mark that wouldn’t come off and the white part near the sole was less white. — Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scuff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuff
  1. scratch
  2. shuffle
  3. creak
  4. scrape
  5. stomp
  6. rasp
  7. stumble
Verb
  • The bear even takes time to exfoliate, using what appears to be a concrete barrier to scratch its back.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of scratch
Verb
  • Kering is starting to clean house, having already shuffled creative directors at Gucci, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta.
    — Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Green tea was served by gang members shuffling around in slippers.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of shuffle
Noun
  • The distressed creak of nylon straps as the second coffin was lowered into the grave brought me back to the now.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Which, aurally, lies somewhere between a door creak and an ass smack.
    — Jason Sheeler, InStyle, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of creak
Verb
  • Pamir, which uses machine learning to scrape, parse and categorize vast amounts of unstructured video, image and social media data for its SaaS database, offers another tool.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • To get the tortoise’s DNA material, Jonathan’s veterinarian Joe Hollins pretended to feed him, wedged his mouth open with a hard glove and scraped cells from inside his cheek.
    — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of scrape
Verb
  • The answer isn’t between stomping the gas pedal or leaving the car parked.
    — Bob Ackerman, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Handclaps, stomping percussion and a communal chorus create the kind of infectious energy that naturally gets people moving.
    — qygwork, Billboard, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of stomp
Noun
  • Use a rasp and grate a couple of tablespoons right into the raw meat mixture before mixing.
    — Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The rattle of a bride’s gold earring or the rasp of straightener steam through a bride’s hair takes on a panic-inducingly eerie quality thanks to Marie-Clotilde Chery’s chilling sound design.
    — Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of rasp
Verb
  • Lyon had Kyle Verreynne caught at slip for 13 as South Africa stumbled to 197-7.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Both will star as the central con-artist ghost hunters who stumble upon a real ghost during one of their scams.
    — Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of stumble

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Scuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuff. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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