How to Use scuff in a Sentence

scuff

1 of 2 verb
  • She scuffed down the hall towards her room.
  • When dry, lightly sand to scuff up the surface and help the paint grip.
    Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2021
  • It’s scuffed up, and its glossy finish has been dulled down.
    Curbed, 3 Apr. 2023
  • What to Consider: The soft leather might start to scuff with heavy wear.
    Kaitlyn McInnis, Travel + Leisure, 27 Jan. 2023
  • Furniture was moved around and there were scuff marks on the wall.
    Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 21 June 2022
  • The big Dutchman was only able to scuff a volley down the middle of the goal.
    SI.com, 13 May 2018
  • The idea is to scuff it up, so paint sticks better, not to remove the old finish.
    Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2022
  • One of the suspect then kicked the driver’s Camaro, scuffing the bumper.
    Law Enforcement, The Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2017
  • Put a desk mat on your desktop to keep it scuff-free (and eliminate the need for a mouse pad).
    Scott Gilbertson gear Team, WIRED, 29 Nov. 2022
  • In Mind: Their handsome hues are painted on, so take care not to scuff them.
    Sarah Wolf Halverson, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2022
  • To ensure that the primer bonds to the wood and to any existing paint, lightly scuff up the surface first.
    Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2019
  • While effective in batting practice, the wheels on the machine scuff the surface of the ball from the very first pitch.
    Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 12 Apr. 2022
  • Pelé shot towards the unguarded goal—but scuffed his kick and missed.
    The Economist, 7 June 2018
  • To most, the cozy slip-ons are for nothing more than scuffing around the house or wandering from the bed to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
    Brooke Bobb, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2017
  • Samsung says there’s a protective layer atop the glass and that’s what testers are able to scuff.
    Sohee Kim, Bloomberg.com, 18 Feb. 2020
  • Get a few scratches or scuffs in the plastic and the look isn’t nearly as appealing.
    Brad Moon, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2023
  • In my testing, the x360’s biggest problem has been the lid’s tendency to scuff in my bag.
    David Pierce, WSJ, 27 Mar. 2018
  • Just keep in mind that they can get scratched and become dull if dirt or debris scuffs them, so keep your floors clean.
    Stefanie Waldek, House Beautiful, 25 July 2023
  • And, by the end, not much of a carpet, either: more of a long doormat, scuffed and scored by hundreds of celebrity heels.
    Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2023
  • The first requires viewers to don paper booties—presumably so as not to scuff the floors.
    Ann Landi, WSJ, 20 Dec. 2021
  • What to Consider The wheels scuffed and dented with rough handling.
    Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2023
  • The hose nozzle feels solid in your hand, and it only got lightly scuffed when dropped.
    Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Apr. 2023
  • What to Consider The lighter colors are prone to scuffing.
    Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2023
  • It’s made of palm fibers that are tougher than standard scouring pads but gentle enough not to scuff your Le Creuset Dutch oven.
    Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 16 Feb. 2023
  • The fitness tracking is flaky and the black version scuffs easily, but the battery life is quite good (four days).
    Louryn Strampe, WIRED, 27 Nov. 2023
  • Rolling in and out of corners, scuffing and skittering on the summer sport tires, the big car’s body motions are well damped and dead steady.
    Dan Neil, WSJ, 9 Mar. 2018
  • The rubber sole doesn’t scuff—or wear down—easily, keeping the shoes looking clean.
    John Vorwald, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2023
  • Police believe a rock was thrown at the passenger-side window, which had scuff marks on it.
    Bob Sandrick, cleveland, 5 June 2020
  • Detectives in the affidavit noted the truck had scuff marks on a front tire and a lug nut cover was missing from one of the front wheels.
    Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Dec. 2021
  • Rada is close at her heels, making sure not to scuff her white Adidas Stan Smith sneakers.
    Jason Motlagh, Marie Claire, 18 Jan. 2018
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scuff

2 of 2 noun
  • She slid into her scuffs and headed into the kitchen.
  • The collision left a long scuff on the side of the car.
    David R. Baker, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 Dec. 2017
  • And on one of those lines, there was a black scuff mark.
    Emily Brindley, courant.com, 6 Nov. 2019
  • Some of the bags had light scuff marks that could be buffed out.
    Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2024
  • There was a single black scuff, on the front of his sole.
    Gustavo Arellanocolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2022
  • The test laptop survived the drop in this bag, and came out with no scuffs and no marks.
    Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 24 Apr. 2023
  • The tuner’s logo can be found on the steering wheel, floor mats, and scuff plates, but that’s about it for the changes.
    Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 8 June 2023
  • Reid always asks for a picture of shoe soles to check for scuff marks.
    Laura Daily, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2023
  • The scuff of a bare foot on sand, the rustle of a paper, a single word said in a whisper?
    BostonGlobe.com, 16 Apr. 2021
  • So why risk breaking a laptop, or even a scuff or a scratch?
    Kevin Cortez, Popular Mechanics, 22 Nov. 2022
  • These sprays and concentrates will make scuffs, dirt, patches, and spills a thing of the past.
    Kelsey Mulvey, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Nov. 2023
  • While scuffs and stains can happen, that's true of any light color.
    Caroline Picard, House Beautiful, 10 May 2023
  • What to Consider The hard shells are prone to minor scuffs.
    Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2023
  • One of his colleagues noticed the scuff marks the thieves’ trolley had left on the hardwood floor.
    Hazlitt, 1 Mar. 2023
  • Glover is far from the first to make sneakers intended to show their scuffs and stains as marks of pride.
    Steff Yotka, Vogue, 18 Apr. 2019
  • The testers said the bag had no scuffs or scratches and the cloth material seems very durable.
    Rebecca Carhart, Peoplemag, 14 July 2023
  • Magic Eraser–style sponges help to buff out tougher stains and scuff marks.
    Sara Rodrigues, House Beautiful, 6 Apr. 2021
  • When the performers are gone, the traces of moving bodies remain such as scuffs on the floor and scents in the air.
    Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2023
  • Now get out the touch-up paint, stain markers and white out, and erase or color in dings, scuffs and scratches.
    Marni Jameson, OrlandoSentinel.com, 7 Sep. 2017
  • The exterior is durable and holds up well to scuffs and scratches.
    Michelle Rostamian, Peoplemag, 27 July 2023
  • Keep in Mind Tossing medicine balls on it during testing left some scuffs on the seat.
    Rena Behar, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 June 2023
  • The students went through the moves of the dance, including half a K-step, a double clap, a stomp, a scuff, a quarter turn.
    Naaman Zhou, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023
  • Johnson said the Honda had a scuff on the back bumper but did not have any other damage.
    Ashley Luthern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2017
  • Keeping the walls white makes the room feel brighter and allows the couple to easily touch up any scuffs.
    Catherine Hong, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2023
  • Dozens of other balls are thrown out of play by the umpires or players because of scuffs or stains.
    Kirk Kenney, sandiegouniontribune.com, 2 July 2017
  • The man also was stumbling and attempted to wipe paint scuffs off his truck.
    Bruce Geiselman, cleveland.com, 17 Feb. 2018
  • Patrice recognized her brown shoes with the scuffs painted over.
    New York Times, 3 Mar. 2020
  • The results were subtle scratches and scuffs in the matte finish that won’t go away.
    Dieter Bohn, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2018
  • The car’s front license plate had a bike tire scuff mark and indentation.
    Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 2 Jan. 2024
  • We’re focused on bigger things right now than a little on-field scuff.
    Scott Thompson, Fox News, 28 Aug. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scuff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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