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as in cash
slang
something (as pieces of stamped metal or printed paper) customarily and legally used as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment
she treated her buddies to a drink whenever she had the scratch for it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scratch
Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Before that, Yantis started Arizona Christian University’s football program from scratch.
—Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 6 Jan. 2026
Gratitude hardly scratches the surface.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scratch
Noun
The Alpacka Adrenaline, however, came away with nary a scratch, thanks to the same bulletproof rubber that Alpacka uses to make its packrafts.
—Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Before that, Yantis started Arizona Christian University’s football program from scratch.
—Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
The best vacuums for hardwood floors have a powerful cleaning performance without scratching or causing damage.
—Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 6 Jan. 2026
Gratitude hardly scratches the surface.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scratch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scratch
Noun
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The scrapes’ glow is likely from urine.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
14 Jan. 2026
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Additionally, 35 people were also treated at the scene and in hospitals for various injuries, such as lacerations, blows and scrapes, Crónica reported.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Janet’s mother, Marilyn, was deeply insecure about having never finished college herself, and—newly flush with cash—offered to pay for four years of her children’s higher education (which cost, on average, $740 in the late 1970s).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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And just in case, she was laid to rest with some local currency, or spending cash, almost 1,000 Kaiyuan Tongbao coins tied to her waist and right leg, as per Arkeonews reported.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cole, a Belgian gelding who’s about 12 years old, calmly stood tied to a rope in the barn on the Kuehls’ property as visitors walked up to him and rubbed above his nose.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
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Combined with the swiveling dining table, the setup allows several digital nomads to comfortably clack away on their keyboards at the same time – no banging elbows or rubbing knees.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In those brownstones, the icons scribbled about notepads and surrendered those eternal drafts to thin paper zines.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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Quatisha Maycock, 5, had just learned how to write her name and practiced scribbling it every day up until she was thrown into the Everglades and left to be eaten by alligators.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Hearing the house creak in the recordings was important, Auerbach said.—
Audrey Gibbs,
USA Today,
1 Jan. 2026
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Owners at the condo, where many units sold for upwards of $20 million, have complained of leaks, creaks, and elevators that break frequently, in one case trapping a resident for more than an hour.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Nine of the top ten sets by brick count have been released in the last five years, and two of those are still to arrive, namely the LEGO Pokémon Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise, and a yet-to-be announced Lord of the Rings build (my money’s on Minas Tirith).—
Matt Gardner,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Instead, the money inmates pay to buy snacks and other items in the commissary covers the cost, something called the inmate welfare account.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Boys who haven’t been invited into those conversations about identity, values, mistakes, or purpose often struggle to write anything beyond the literal.—
Dr. Liz Doe Stone,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Yet for all the star power his name attracts, Winslow will never write with a specific actor in mind.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The unlawful taking of items from a machine or device that is operated or activated by the use of coins.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Jan. 2026
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Conversely, if network health declines due to decreases in mining profitability or overall confidence in a coin, then demand may decrease or risk increase, putting downward pressure on price as a result.—
Ethan Stone,
IndyStar,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scratch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scratch. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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