SANDPAPERY Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

sandpapery

adjective

Definition of sandpapery

as in scratchy

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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 sandpapery Building on the bones of Detroit techno and electro, his best records are hallucinogenic portals into worlds made out of 8-bit textures, rusty bleeps, and the occasional forlorn piano or sandpapery vocal sample. — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sandpapery

Adjective

Using too much detergent leaves soapy residue in fabrics, trapping dirt, bacteria, and hard water minerals, which leaves clothes looking dull, feeling stiff and scratchy, and smelling bad.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 July 2026
While some of my linen pieces feel scratchy, this one is ultra soft and doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin.

— Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026

Definition of scratchy

Adjective

Prison life hasn't been easy on Otto, who has dungeon hair, sunken eyes and a scraggly beard.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 29 June 2026
Jonah Paz, with scraggly brown hair and clean features, wears a baggy red flannel and gray pants; Yaelle Avtan’s got a plume of blonde hair, pink blouse, and a tutu-y green skirt.

— Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026

Definition of scraggly

Adjective

Crews — including at least one person captured wearing an old crew shirt from a previous Swift tour — were seen wheeling in greenery and flowers, as well as knobby tree branches and lush foliage.

— Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Apptronik’s Apollo humanoid—porcelain white, with knobby limbs and thick, sturdy legs—has been used in production at European automotive factories owned by Mercedes-Benz.

— Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

Definition of knobby

Adjective

White settlers and frontier pioneers built vast, fenceless cattle stations, battling harsh environments and disease, embracing a hard-living culture that exists to this day.

— Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Dish Soap Using harsh chemicals on the outside of your toilet bowl and fixtures is not recommended, according to Meagher.

— Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 4 July 2026

Definition of harsh

Adjective

Inside, there’s a unique two-tone color split for throne-like front seats and rear jump seats, with standard Dinamica—akin to nubby Alcantara—dressing seat inserts and door trim.

— Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 12 June 2026
Microfiber absorbs four times more moisture than cotton and the nubby texture grabs and holds onto soil until it is washed away.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 June 2026

Definition of nubby

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sandpapers

sandpapery

sands

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Style

“Sandpapery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sandpapery. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of sandpapery

adjective

Example Sentences

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