1
as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
she was a scrappy girl despite—or, perhaps, because of—her small size
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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
The first major blow to Zuckerberg's reputation as a scrappy go-getter who merely had a great idea for a harmless social media site came in 2015, with the first reporting on the Cambridge Analytica data mining scandal.
—
Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Now, the Bulls are a starless team of scrappy underdogs, happy to steal a win by any means.
—Darnell Mayberry, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Yale’s scrappy Bulldogs counting on altitude, attitude to bust your NCAA Tournament bracket
The Nuggets ended up losing in Milwaukee after Braun’s punishing dunk over Lopez.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 23 Mar. 2025
The scrappy, high compete effort gave the Canucks a tie score heading into the third period, presenting an opportunity to grind out at least a point.
—Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrappy
Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Now, the Bulls are a starless team of scrappy underdogs, happy to steal a win by any means.
—Darnell Mayberry, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Yale’s scrappy Bulldogs counting on altitude, attitude to bust your NCAA Tournament bracket
The Nuggets ended up losing in Milwaukee after Braun’s punishing dunk over Lopez.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 23 Mar. 2025
The scrappy, high compete effort gave the Canucks a tie score heading into the third period, presenting an opportunity to grind out at least a point.
—Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrappy
Adjective
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The two were very aggressive from the start of the fight, with a lot of output.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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There are also more aggressive interventions for people with severe allergies who don’t respond to other medicines like desensitization therapy, also known as allergy shots.—
Umair Irfan,
Wired News,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Bezos was also behind The Washington Post’s controversial decision not to endorse a presidential candidate in the 2024 election.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2025
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Cholesterol and Heart Health The keto diet's effects on cholesterol levels and heart health remain controversial.—
Melissa Nieves,
Verywell Health,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And in Lebanon, a series of Israeli attacks on the country have decapitated the militant group Hezbollah.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
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The group wrote to Bondi to argue that the influencer should be investigated over whether she has been paid to spread propaganda for Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in Gaza, it was first reported by the New York Post.—
Lauren Irwin,
The Hill,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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However, all three of these studies come from a closely affiliated group of researchers, are based on the same dataset tracking maternal health, and use contentious measures of both IQ and fluoride exposure.—
Lauren Leffer,
Popular Science,
9 Apr. 2025
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Policies around taxes, the federal budget and migration were widely seen as contentious points among the parties.—
Sophie Kiderlin,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Andreas typically waits until there have been three instances of potential hostile communication before asking her friend or colleague if everything is OK.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
28 Mar. 2025
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Home to one of the world’s largest refugee populations – most of them from Afghanistan – Pakistan has not always welcomed the foreigners, subjecting them to hostile living conditions and threatening deportation over the years.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Despite growing consternation and concern expressed by economists and CEOs, Trump administration officials have been stubborn in defending its trade policies.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
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Ocasio-Cortez might have a good shot at cracking that stubborn nut.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Through an unlikely friendship with a feisty stray dog, Charlie discovers that family comes in many forms — and that sometimes, wishes do come true.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
9 Apr. 2025
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The large bird, maybe feeling a little hangry, responds to the visitors' curiosity by leaning in and giving the former prime minister a feisty peck on the hand.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrappy. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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