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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scuff
Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2025
Baseboards also tend to get scuffed a lot in an active household.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2025
Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026
The interior is made with recycled materials that resist moisture and can be spot cleaned if a spill or scuff pops up.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scuff
Verb
Clean the Midsoles of Sneakers If the rubber midsoles of your sneakers get dirty or scuffed, toothpaste can help.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2025
Baseboards also tend to get scuffed a lot in an active household.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2025
Noun
Floors The cleaner can also be used to remove scuff marks from floors.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026
The interior is made with recycled materials that resist moisture and can be spot cleaned if a spill or scuff pops up.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scuff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuff
Verb
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The day started with bad vibes when two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom was scratched from his start with a neck injury.—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
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Rookie Owen Caissie, a late addition to the starting lineup after original first baseman Christopher Morel was scratched with a left oblique strain, then drove in Edwards with a double to left-center.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After the offense was shut out on four hits in Tuesday night’s 2-0 loss to the Angels, Counsell shuffled the lineup.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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Instead, Meyerson was shuffled to three different ALFs in six months — from Hialeah to Kendall to Homestead.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The creak of a hinge, the thrum of water running through the pipes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
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In the opening moments, Loznitsa, working with the Romanian cinematographer Oleg Mutu, plants the camera before the prison gates, which open with a loud creak, allowing a fresh batch of emaciated arrivals to shuffle into a work yard.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There are, naturally, layers of deception to scrape away first.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Avery Sullivan, with whom Morris also plays in the country-rock band Fust, keeps loose time on drums, tapping the snare like someone setting down coffee mugs while Libby Rodenbough scrapes out a few melody lines on her fiddle and colors empty spaces with some ghostly tremolo.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stomped around here like rabid Goths wearing bearskin vests.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
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At times, their set had the foot-stomping intensity of a tent revival.—
Joey Guerra,
Houston Chronicle,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Deep and smoky with impressive control and just a touch of Etta James rasp, Spiro’s is a voice not so much influenced by jazz legends like Winehouse or Nina Simone but rather a direct descendant.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Mar. 2026
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Hines and Pidgeon give the woman a choreography, the dramatic toss of the hair, the hips gone concave, the Marlboro rasp in her voice.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hunters exploring in a remote section of the 500,000-acre Pisgah National Forest stumbled onto a body in the dark, according to investigators in western North Carolina.—
Mark Price
April 5,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Apr. 2026
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In the clip, the two actors stumble backwards into the glass before falling through and out of the frame.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuff. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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