to scratch
Third Person
scratches
Present Participle
scratching
Past Tense
scratched
Past Participle
scratched
1
to make small cuts or marks on a surface
transitive
- The sharp rock accidentally scratched the surface of the car's paint.
- The puppy scratched the floor trying to bury its bone.
- She accidentally scratched her phone screen with her keys.
- The cat scratched the upholstery of the sofa, leaving marks behind.
- Be careful not to scratch the glass when cleaning it with a rough cloth.
Synonyms:
2
to rub a person's or one's own skin to relieve an itching sensation, particularly with one's fingernails
transitive
- She had to scratch her mosquito bites to soothe the irritation.
- The cat sat contentedly, allowing the owner to scratch its chin.
- Unable to resist the itch, he began to scratch his arm where the insect had bitten.
- The hiker stopped to scratch his leg where a plant had brushed against his skin.
- Trying to focus on the task at hand, she couldn't help but scratch her head in concentration.
3
to cancel or abandon an undertaking or project
transitive
- Due to budget constraints, they decided to scratch the plans for the new office building.
- The committee scratched the idea of hosting the conference this year and decided to revisit it in the future.
- The city council scratched the proposal for a new park in favor of allocating funds to improve existing facilities.
- The entrepreneur scratched the idea of launching a new product line after conducting market research.
- The director chose to scratch the film project after realizing it wouldn't meet the audience's expectations.
4
to scrape over a hard surface and make a grating noise
- The chair legs scratched against the tiled floor as she moved it across the kitchen.
- He winced as the fork scratched along the surface of the ceramic plate.
- She cringed as her nails scratched against the chalkboard while writing.
- The rake scratched over the gravel driveway as he dragged it behind him.
- The wooden crate scratched against the concrete floor as it was dragged across the warehouse.
5
to create a mark or indentation on a surface using a sharp or pointed object
transitive
- She scratched her initials into the wooden bench with a pocket knife.
- He scratched a message onto the stone wall using a piece of flint.
- She scratched her name into the wet cement sidewalk before it dried.
- He scratched a design onto the glass surface of the window using a diamond-tipped tool.
- The child scratched patterns into the sand at the beach with a stick.
6
to earn money through labor, often involving difficult or unconventional methods
- After losing his job, he had to scratch to support his family, taking on any work he could find.
- Despite the challenges, she scratched to provide for her children, taking on multiple part-time jobs.
- He scratched for years in the music industry before finally finding success with his band.
- She scratched, working long hours at the diner while pursuing her dream of becoming an actress.
- Despite the odds, they scratched, refusing to give up on their entrepreneurial endeavors.
7
to remove or eliminate something by erasing, or drawing a line through it
transitive
- She scratched the wrong answer and filled in the correct one on the exam paper.
- The editor scratched the redundant paragraphs from the manuscript to improve clarity.
- The teacher scratched the mistake from the whiteboard and corrected it.
- He scratched the appointment from his calendar after it was rescheduled.
- She scratched the address from the envelope and rewrote it more legibly.
8
to make a small, shallow mark or injury on the skin by rubbing something sharp or rough against it
transitive
- She scratched her ankle while climbing over the fence.
- The cat scratched me when I tried to pet it.
- I scratched my leg on the rough pavement while jogging.
- She scratched her arm on the thorn bush while walking through the garden.