1
as in scratching
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 shuffling
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 scuffing
Wagner wasn’t as fortunate with his 7-iron shot, pulling it left into the rough (and scuffing the bottom of his club).
—
Jay Posner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
Valverde also had a decent chance in August away at Oviedo, when running through on goal on the break and scuffing a shot against the outside of the post.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
The slate coasters feature little pads to keep the smooth, rock material from scuffing your table.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
Remove shoes while in the house to avoid scuffing up baseboards and floors.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
Keep shoes in separate bags Avoid scuffing trainers or damaging heels in your suitcase by packing them in shoe bags.
—Lauren Burvill, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2023
Jay Posner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
Valverde also had a decent chance in August away at Oviedo, when running through on goal on the break and scuffing a shot against the outside of the post.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
The slate coasters feature little pads to keep the smooth, rock material from scuffing your table.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
Remove shoes while in the house to avoid scuffing up baseboards and floors.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
Keep shoes in separate bags Avoid scuffing trainers or damaging heels in your suitcase by packing them in shoe bags.
—Lauren Burvill, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuffing
Verb
-
Eggs may be dyed one color, with designs created by scratching the egg with a sharp tool to reveal the white eggshell beneath.—
Elaine Rewolinski,
jsonline.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Florida shooting guard Xavian Lee’s indecision culminated in a coast-to-coast sequence that ended in a head-scratching turnover instead of a potential game-winner.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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These chips spend most of their energy shuffling data between a memory unit and a processor.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Mar. 2026
-
So what better way to cap all that off than closing out the Oscars — even if the clip played while the audience was shuffling out of the theater and calling their Ubers.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Angry Mama Microwave Steam Cleaner is thoughtfully designed to effortlessly remove stubborn messes without scrubbing or scraping for hours on end.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2026
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Tore it apart before scraping it and sure enough, tucked into a corner, covered with lint, was an old gold ring.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Soon afterward, a Diplodocus was stomping through downtown Chicago and eating the tops off trees in Grant Park, the story said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
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Slightly out of breath from stomping up the stairs, past the guests — who, as Daisy will tell Jason later, noticed something was up — Ellie tells Jason that Ben’s time mismanagement is setting her up to fail.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Occasionally, King’s assistants, a pair of bulky guys with law-enforcement backgrounds, offered the stumbling line a corrective shove.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The Ducks started their trip up five points on Connor McDavid and company, but held just a three-point edge after stumbling 4-2 on Saturday.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scuffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuffing. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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