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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scuff
Alexandra Kay, People.com, 31 May 2025
His ballistic vest showed a scuff mark on its upper right consistent with being struck by an object.
—Kathryn Kovalenko, Twin Cities, 18 June 2025
Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 5 May 2025
His 16-minute cameo against Tottenham Hotspur in November provided flickers of the Belgian at his glorious best, threading the ball for Erling Haaland moments after coming on, before swinging in a first-time cross that was scuffed over the bar by a back-tracking defence.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scuff
Verb
Stackable chairs make storage easy, and their legs feature protective glides to prevent floor scuffs and scratches.
—Alexandra Kay, People.com, 31 May 2025
His ballistic vest showed a scuff mark on its upper right consistent with being struck by an object.
—Kathryn Kovalenko, Twin Cities, 18 June 2025
Noun
The wooden boat was more than 20 feet long, and had scuffed blue paint and wooden planks for seats, The AP reported.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 5 May 2025
His 16-minute cameo against Tottenham Hotspur in November provided flickers of the Belgian at his glorious best, threading the ball for Erling Haaland moments after coming on, before swinging in a first-time cross that was scuffed over the bar by a back-tracking defence.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scuff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuff
Verb
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Just bruises that faded — purple legs, arms, and scratches on my back.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
-
McVicker’s face is a painting with the energy of a neon sign, and Fast boasts a black cat sexiness that threatens to claw out of the screen and scratch you.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Fuller has pushed back on these claims by sharing the app's source code for shuffling and dealing virtual cards.—
Andrew Montequin,
jsonline.com,
29 July 2025
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Short, shuffling steps often prevent your glutes from firing properly.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
24 July 2025
Noun
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And a few creaks and rattles cropped up when the exhaust roar or music didn’t drown out all other sounds—though pushing hard in the hills seemed to settle some of the trim into place better.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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The Little Chief creaks and groans as another load of passengers settles in for a tour of St. Mary Lake in Montana’s Glacier National Park.—
Diana Lambdin Meyer,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
Verb
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For instance, if an AI agent is scraping a website or making a purchase, the system determines whether that action aligns with approved behavior.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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Using a spatula, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and stir in any remaining uneven parts. Bake and cool.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 July 2025
Verb
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Denver posted a 16-4 mark through the spring of ’23, sweeping the Lakers, then stomping the Heat in The Finals to finally reach the NBA’s summit.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
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Footage shared online shows the woman stomping her feet and kicking her legs from the ground.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
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The soulful rasp of his voice bellowed through the open-roof into the Nashville night.—
Bryan West,
The Tennessean,
30 May 2025
-
Wallen has abandoned the panting rasp of his mid-twenties, and now performs with force and depth.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Symptoms include shivering, memory loss, stumbling, confusion and sleepiness.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
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But the Mets’ rotation stumbled in the second half of June and into the All-Star break.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuff. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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