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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scrappy
However, the downside of being a scrappy underdog is that Nebula's total video offerings are far more limited by comparison.
—
PCMAG, 7 Jan. 2025
At 17-15, the scrappy Heat are currently the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
There, residents struggle to consistently access nutritious food, so volunteers have started the scrappy operation to hand out food and toys purchased by the organizers themselves, as a way to help a community dealing with food insecurity.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 30 Dec. 2024
The scrappy but small Tanner Howe didn’t look like a fit at the net-front early.
—Scott Wheeler, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scrappy 
PCMAG, 7 Jan. 2025
At 17-15, the scrappy Heat are currently the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
There, residents struggle to consistently access nutritious food, so volunteers have started the scrappy operation to hand out food and toys purchased by the organizers themselves, as a way to help a community dealing with food insecurity.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 30 Dec. 2024
The scrappy but small Tanner Howe didn’t look like a fit at the net-front early.
—Scott Wheeler, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scrappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrappy
Adjective
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With how aggressive Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has been on fourth down, Fangio has to treat third down like second down.—
Ted Nguyen,
The Athletic,
23 Jan. 2025
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So far, investors have been relieved President Donald Trump has backed away from aggressive, across-the-board tariffs during his first days in office.—
Medora Lee,
USA TODAY,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Several House and Senate Democrats supported the passage of the Laken Riley Act despite the bill’s controversial measures.—
Stuart Anderson,
Forbes,
19 Jan. 2025
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Less controversial are interventions tailored to communities.—
Amy Maxmen | KFF Health News,
ABC News,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In any case, the militant Islamist group is no longer the same organization that launched the October 7, 2023, massacre.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
19 Jan. 2025
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Palestinian statehood remains very difficult question for Israel to answer, pushed further away by the October 7 attacks and 15 months of brutal war in Gaza against Palestinian militant group Hamas.—
Ellie Cook,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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President Joe Biden prioritized student loan forgiveness during his term, introducing broad and contentious programs—challenged by his opponents in the courts—to relieve people of large chunks of their college debt.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
18 Jan. 2025
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The loud and contentious debate about whether Indiana and SMU deserved CFP at-large bids overshadowed the reality of postseason football in both college and the NFL.—
Scott Dochterman,
The Athletic,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Instead, she was hounded out of the classroom by authorities hostile to Western literature.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2025
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Last year, Trump's predecessor Joe Biden fired the inspector general of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, after an investigation found the official had created a hostile work environment.—
Riley Beggin,
USA TODAY,
25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The stubborn machine has won, and politicians are, for the most part, just fodder, which means that every politician who has to stand in front of a camera after a tragedy turns into another battle site in an endless culture war.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
The New Yorker,
16 Jan. 2025
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The bigger question is what happens if the economy, and in particular the labor market, weakens while inflation remains stubborn.—
Ben Casselman,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The 17-inch hoops at each end, bar-end mirrors, and a new headlight all contribute to that feisty sporty appearance.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Jan. 2025
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Now, the task gets dramatically more difficult against a bona fide Super Bowl contender in front of the feisty Lions fans at Ford Field.—
Jim Reineking,
USA TODAY,
17 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near scrappy
Cite this Entry
“Scrappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrappy. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
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