1
as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
she was a scrappy girl despite—or, perhaps, because of—her small size
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in controversial
given to arguing
a pair of scrappy movie critics who can never agree on anything
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scrappy
By the same token, the eye-rolling flirtation between scrappy reporter Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) and über-ditz Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio) might have worked better in a film less determined to look for the best in people.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 8 July 2025
Corenswet’s funny, scrappy rapport with Rachel Brosnahan’s whip-smart Lois Lane — possibly the sharpest and most captivating interpretation of the ace Daily Planet reporter since Margot Kidder — makes their every scene together a delight.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025
Red-hot Canada will take on scrappy and confident Guatemala in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals on Sunday afternoon.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
The creator economy is no longer a scrappy side hustle or a chaotic collection of one-person operations filming videos in basements.
—Ian Shepherd, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrappy
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 8 July 2025
Corenswet’s funny, scrappy rapport with Rachel Brosnahan’s whip-smart Lois Lane — possibly the sharpest and most captivating interpretation of the ace Daily Planet reporter since Margot Kidder — makes their every scene together a delight.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025
Red-hot Canada will take on scrappy and confident Guatemala in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals on Sunday afternoon.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
The creator economy is no longer a scrappy side hustle or a chaotic collection of one-person operations filming videos in basements.
—Ian Shepherd, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrappy
Adjective
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Being too aggressive with your use of ice can damage your skin.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
22 July 2025
-
Chantel’s aggressive, no-nonsense delivery clashed with Jackie’s passive-deflective tone, turning what could’ve been a breakthrough into yet another blow-up.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Paxton, the controversial state attorney general who survived an impeachment trial last year, is running against long-serving Senator John Cornyn.—
Karlyn Bowman,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
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Netflix's latest Trainwreck documentary revisits the controversial Balloon Boy saga that captivated the nation.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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Buhari vowed to do more to fight militant groups and fix the economy as the demonstrations turned deadly and continued to simmer for the remainder of his presidency.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
13 July 2025
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Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups.—
Ali Sawafta,
USA Today,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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After a six-hour contentious hearing in 2023, the CPUC approved both companies to operate at any hour of the day and charge for rides.—
Lia Russell
Updated July 14,
Sacbee.com,
14 July 2025
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With billions allocated for new hiring, the scale of ICE's growth could reshape immigration enforcement for years to come and will likely remain at the center of a contentious national debate.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Five days later, on July 8, an attorney for the city manager submitted a letter of potential claim against the city citing defamation, harassment and creation of a hostile work environment.—
Anita Edmondson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 July 2025
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In early October 2022, the ruling said, McCarty filed a hostile work environment complaint with the police department.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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But earth sign parents can also lean toward being stubborn and strict, which may cause friction during a stand off or while navigating discipline or tough conversations.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
15 July 2025
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Economists also will keep an eye on shelter prices, which have been a stubborn component keeping readings higher.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Larsson feisty: Larsson closed out his summer stint with another quality effort, one that included a first-quarter four-point play as part of his 14-point first half.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
15 July 2025
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Neither tactic worked there, but Kyrgios clearly relishes having overcome Stefanos Tsitsipas in a feisty encounter during his 2022 Wimbledon campaign.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrappy. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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