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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in controversial
given to arguing
a pair of scrappy movie critics who can never agree on anything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of scrappy
Zomnir wasn’t afraid to be scrappy in those early days.
—
Rachel Burchfield,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Especially at Louisville, just making that big jump, picking up full court, just being a dog, being scrappy, getting through screens, just everything like that.
—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
25 June 2026
The first venture was scrappier than C'Ganti’s resume suggested.
—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
Alcock’s scrappy characterization, tempering Kara’s jaded toughness and chaotic messiness with an increasingly strong sense of justice, would seem an ideal fit to continue in a similar vein.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for scrappy
Rachel Burchfield,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Especially at Louisville, just making that big jump, picking up full court, just being a dog, being scrappy, getting through screens, just everything like that.
—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
25 June 2026
The first venture was scrappier than C'Ganti’s resume suggested.
—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
Alcock’s scrappy characterization, tempering Kara’s jaded toughness and chaotic messiness with an increasingly strong sense of justice, would seem an ideal fit to continue in a similar vein.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for scrappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrappy
Adjective
-
Grey-zone tactics refer to a range of aggressive tactics that vary from navy ship patrols to drone flights, but fall short of direct combat.
-
That will be decided in the coming hours, as the Heat remains in aggressive pursuit of a trade for Antetokounmpo.
Adjective
-
In a controversial move, the Department of Education last year decided that certain healthcare studies – such as nursing, physician assistants and physical therapy – were not considered professional programs.
-
One of the most controversial things to happen in sports over the last five to seven years or so is the introduction of jersey ads.
Adjective
-
Fiber-optic, first-person view (FPV) drones have become a key weapon in the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah’s war against Israel in recent months – bypassing Israel’s sophisticated defense systems by duplicating an asymmetric warfare tactic that first emerged in the Russia-Ukraine war.
-
Children of the 1960s may recall that even within the militant activist group, Students for Democratic Society (SDS), animus was frequently directed not at the establishment but at fellow antiwar advocates.
Adjective
-
This is not so different from the Founders’ vision of democracy, in which a federal system with independent, coequal branches of government forces collisions of competing interests that can get contentious, even chaotic, before compromises are forged.
-
But with the Turnberry Agreement finally finding its footing, a reopening of wounds and a reignition of a contentious trade battle has likely held little appeal for the EU.
Adjective
-
The complaint alleges that school officials at Southern Hills Middle School failed to stop two years of antisemitic harassment against an eighth grader even after investigations concluded the student faced a hostile environment.
-
Create an internal incident map and begin tagging hostile actions according to the DISARM taxonomy.
Adjective
-
In her account, Richmond indeed emerges as its progenitor—through his theorizing, his behind-the-scenes parliamentary and polemical maneuvering, and his patronage of Thomas Paine.
-
The slapstick titles—Crackned Horsez, To of Them, Ape Island, all 1972—further stymied any straightforwardly polemical takeaway.
Adjective
-
On that sunny day in Palo Alto, Brazil won 1-0 against the feisty Americans, but not before losing a player to a red card shortly before halftime.
-
Conversations get charged when the Scorpio moon contends with feisty Mars.
Adjective
-
The weather service’s forecast discussion for Kansas City said the stubborn heat could last through the Fourth of July.
-
Against all odds, the stubborn housing market has become a hotspot for young talent.
Cite this Entry
“Scrappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrappy. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
