scratch

Examples

• All

• You could hear a faint scratch against the window as the wind picked up.

• This is where you might hear like a record scratch if I was doing sound effects in here.

• "Scratch, scratch, scratch, went the clawing at my door."

  Big Momma's House (2000)

• The silence is shattered by a scratch, then violin music from upstairs.

  Fiction book (1994)

• The rain started, ticking the window with scratches, then pouring over it in streams.

  Fiction book (1999)

• With a hissing scratch, a candle flickered at the other end of the cathedral.

  Fiction book (1994)

• The door breathes in and out, and something animal scratches and snarls on the other side.

  Fiction book (1991)

• And I'm forever seeing the world through the scratches my housekeys have scored into my sunglasses.

  Fiction book (1998)

• Shan's inward self became welted with scratches, and his outward throat was raspy.

  Fiction book (1993)

• The scratch of the cat's paws on the wooden floor was audible in the quiet room.

Synonyms

S

scratching

vsscratch

19 2.1

A harsh scraping sound when two hard or rough things rub together

is the same but highlights a rough vibrating quality

S

scraping

vsscratch

15 2.3

A harsh sound made when one thing rubs another

is the general label for that harsh grating sound

S

scrape

vsscratch

5 3.2

A harsh, rough sound made when one thing rubs another

is similar but stresses the sense of a rasping noise

G

grinding

vsscratch

1 4.2

A harsh scraping sound made when hard surfaces rub together

is like that noise but can be less continuous or heavy

R

rasping

vsscratch

1 7.4

A harsh, rough sound often made by someone's voice

is the physical harsh sound rather than a voice feature

Antonyms

S

silence

373 2.0

A period with no sound or speech

Idioms

F

from scratch

108 2.8

To make something using nothing already made

W

without a scratch

• Informal

13 2.7

Not hurt or damaged after a dangerous event

U

up to scratch

2 5.0

Good enough to meet a required standard

W

to walk away without a scratch

2 4.2

Leave a dangerous situation without getting hurt

S

to scratch an itch

• Informal

1 4.3

Satisfy a strong wish you cannot ignore

S

to scratch beneath the surface

• UK

1 5.7

To look below the surface to find the real reasons

S

to scratch one's head

1 4.6

Touch or rub your head to show you do not understand something

C

to come to the scratch

• UK

9.6

To help when needed, especially in a difficult situation

S

scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist

• Offensive

9.9

A saying that some people who call themselves liberal may show authoritarian views when challenged

S

to scratch one's own itch

• Jargon

7.8

To do something that solves a problem you have

Compounds

C

chicken scratch

• Informal

4 8.4

Messy handwriting that is hard to read

C

cat scratch

3 1.0

A small cut on the skin from a cat's claws

S

scratch test

• Specialized

1 3.5

A simple test that finds allergies by putting small drops on tiny cuts in the skin

S

scratch paper

• US

1 2.2

A piece of paper used for quick notes or rough calculations

S

scratch pad

1 2.3

A small pad of blank paper for quick notes and sketches

S

scratch line

1 4.8

A line that shows where people start a race

S

scratch sheet

• Jargon

1 9.9

A paper that lists horses, race results and betting odds

C

cat scratch disease

• Specialized

1 3.4

An infection from a cat scratch or bite that makes nearby glands swell and is usually mild

S

scratch awl

• Specialized

1 7.9

A small tool with a sharp point that marks wood or metal before cutting

S

scratch race

• Specialized

5.5

A race where all competitors start together with no handicaps

S

scratch plough

• Archaic

8.8

A simple light farm tool that loosens the top of the soil without turning it over

How Harsh

shriek

29 2.7

screech

21 2.9

scrape

5 3.2

scratch

9 1.2

rustle

10 4.4

Surface Forms

Etymology