as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
dressed in scruffy old clothes to clean out the garage
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scruffy
On a sunny April afternoon in Seattle, around 40 activists gathered at the Pine Box, a beer and pizza bar in the sometimes scruffy Capitol Hill neighborhood.
—
Aarian Marshall, Wired News, 16 June 2025
In a thoroughly awful game, Spurs played poorly but managed to just about sneak past Manchester United with an incredibly scruffy goal.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Johnson’s goal for Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester United in Wednesday’s Europa League final was in the 42nd minute, scruffy, opportunistic, but effective.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Lately, however, the scruffy poet laureate of middle-aged melancholy has never been happier or more prolific, coming off a post-pandemic hot streak that saw the release of multiple National albums and now, his second release under his own name following 2020’s Serpentine Prison.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for scruffy
Aarian Marshall, Wired News, 16 June 2025
In a thoroughly awful game, Spurs played poorly but managed to just about sneak past Manchester United with an incredibly scruffy goal.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Johnson’s goal for Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester United in Wednesday’s Europa League final was in the 42nd minute, scruffy, opportunistic, but effective.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Lately, however, the scruffy poet laureate of middle-aged melancholy has never been happier or more prolific, coming off a post-pandemic hot streak that saw the release of multiple National albums and now, his second release under his own name following 2020’s Serpentine Prison.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for scruffy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scruffy
Adjective
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Now, as soon as next year, the historic campus will transform into housing with 213 apartments as the city's Department of Metropolitan Development and private developers redevelop dilapidated buildings downtown into residential and commercial spaces.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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But Spencer said replacing old, dilapidated buildings with newer ones could also put the district in a better position to compete with charter schools.—
Silas Allen,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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But its location in the neglected and overgrown space remains a mystery.—
Laura L. Davis,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
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What’s a neglected part of your ME—your health, learning, or joy?—
Nell Derick Debevoise,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scruffy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scruffy. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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