Illustration of scarf
- 4scarf 2
plural scarves
ˈskärvz 
or scarfs
or scarfs
1
: a broad band of cloth worn about the shoulders, around the neck, or over the head
2
3
a
: a military or official sash usually indicative of rank
b
archaic
: tippet sense 3
scarfed; scarfing; scarfs
1
: to wrap, cover, or adorn with or as if with a scarf
2
: to wrap or throw on (a scarf or mantle) loosely
scarfed; scarfing; scarfs
1
: scoff entry 3 sense 1
scarfed down my sandwich
2
: snap sense transitive 2
scarfed up the best seats
plural scarfs
1
: either of the chamfered or cutaway ends that fit together to form a scarf joint
2
: an in-line joint made by chamfering, halving, or notching two pieces to correspond and lapping them
variants
or less commonly scarph
scarfed also scarphed; scarfing also scarphing; scarfs also scarphs
Examples of scarf in a Sentence
Noun (1)
the college students scarfed the entire contents of the care package in one sitting
Recent Examples on the Web
Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 3 Jan. 2026
Style it with your best winter jackets and scarves when the weather calls for layers, and pair it with everything from jeans to leggings or wide-leg pants to dress it up or down.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026
Outside Online, 24 Dec. 2025
None of those foraging and storing animals are likely to eat the acorns whole, but there are larger animals that are known to scarf the acorns down.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarf
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.
Noun
On the accessories front, a plush fur scarf introduced another layer of visual intrigue to the texture-heavy look.
—Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 3 Jan. 2026
Style it with your best winter jackets and scarves when the weather calls for layers, and pair it with everything from jeans to leggings or wide-leg pants to dress it up or down.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026
Verb
There’s just something about scarfing oodles of vittles during and after skiing that is far more satisfying than any other post mountain pursuit grubfest.
—Outside Online, 24 Dec. 2025
None of those foraging and storing animals are likely to eat the acorns whole, but there are larger animals that are known to scarf the acorns down.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarf
Cite this Entry
“Scarf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarf. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scarf
1 of 2 noun
plural scarves
ˈskärvz
or scarfs
1
: a broad band of cloth worn about the shoulders, around the neck, over the head, or about the waist
2
scarf
2 of 2 verb
: scoff entry 3 sense 1
scarfed down my sandwich
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share