Clues for the word "SCRATCH"
We've had 79 crossword clues used for this word, and seen it 102 times in crosswords. It was last seen in New Zealand Herald crossword on May 22, 2026.
Definition of scratch
- v. t. - To rub and tear or mark the surface of with something sharp or ragged; to scrape, roughen, or wound slightly by drawing something pointed or rough across, as the claws, the nails, a pin, or the like.
- v. t. - To write or draw hastily or awkwardly.
- v. t. - To cancel by drawing one or more lines through, as the name of a candidate upon a ballot, or of a horse in a list; hence, to erase; to efface; -- often with out.
- v. t. - To dig or excavate with the claws; as, some animals scratch holes, in which they burrow.
- v. i. - To use the claws or nails in tearing or in digging; to make scratches.
- v. i. - To score, not by skillful play but by some fortunate chance of the game.
- n. - A break in the surface of a thing made by scratching, or by rubbing with anything pointed or rough; a slight wound, mark, furrow, or incision.
- n. - A line across the prize ring; up to which boxers are brought when they join fight; hence, test, trial, or proof of courage; as, to bring to the scratch; to come up to the scratch.
- n. - Minute, but tender and troublesome, excoriations, covered with scabs, upon the heels of horses which have been used where it is very wet or muddy.
- n. - A kind of wig covering only a portion of the head.
- n. - A shot which scores by chance and not as intended by the player; a fluke.
- a. - Made, done, or happening by chance; arranged with little or no preparation; determined by circumstances; haphazard; as, a scratch team; a scratch crew for a boat race; a scratch shot in billiards.
Referring Clues
- No-go at the track
- Chicken ___ (hard-to-decipher writing)
- Pool error
- Use one's nails
- Sink the cue ball
- Square one
- Deal with poison ivy, in a way
- Square one, so to speak
- Cancel
- Starting place
- Delete, so to speak
- Pool infraction
- Remove from competition
- Satisfy an itch
- Some wealth
- Ease an itch
- CD flaw
- Golf handicap of zero
- Withdraw from contest with a slight wound
- Withdraw from a contest
- Score - postpone indefinitely
- Withdraw - abrasion
- Pull out (of a race)
- Cancel score
- Pull out claw
- Slight injury is no handicap
- The devil improvised
- Damage carts, possibly, going to church
- Mark with something sharp
- Hurt when you refuse to play
- From the very beginning, are irritating
- Mark made by sharp point
- Minor injury is no handicap
- Singular form of dismissal restricting run score
- The devil is rough-and-ready
- Deal with itch - cancel entry
- Insignificant injury
- Retire from the contest - not up to it?
- The devil to come up to?
- Make a mark as a non-runner
- Withdraw with a slight injury
- Withdraw from competition
- Relieve itch
- Saint with credit at church needs ready money
- Mark of the Beast?
- Not enough damage to be a handicap?
- Slight wound is no handicap
- The mark of a non-competitor?
- In golf, a handicap of zero strokes
- Withdraw from contest with slight injury
- Withdraw cash
- Withdraw with a minor injury
- Withdraw money
- Withdraw a score
- Withdraw with slight injury
- A slight injury causing one to withdraw
- Score in second haul of fish about right
- Withdraw score
- Withdraw with minor injury
- Mark square one
- Mark is to withdraw from contest
- Improvised score
- Scrape
- From the very beginning, is good at golf
- Beginning as only a slight injury
- Irritate from the beginning
- Beginning to irritate
- A minor injury that's no handicap
- Body shop concern
- Mark is a good golfer
- "Earn a living only with difficulty" does hurt a little
- Minor injury
- The beginning, in an idiom
- Start from ___
- Slight injury
- Like a golfer who usually shoots around par
- Chicken ___ (difficult-to-read handwriting)
- Minor abrasion
- Starting point
Last Seen In
- New Zealand Herald - May 22, 2026
- Daily Cryptic - April 29, 2026
- LA Times - March 14, 2026
- Mindfood Daily - March 06, 2026
- Daily Cryptic - November 16, 2025
- Daily Quick - November 09, 2025
- Penny Dell Daily - October 31, 2025
- Evening Standard Easy - October 27, 2025
- Evening Standard Cryptic - June 13, 2025
- Daily Cryptic - May 21, 2025
- LA Times - March 24, 2025
- New Zealand Herald - March 19, 2025
- Your Life Choices - February 08, 2025
- Evening Standard Easy - January 10, 2025
- Evening Standard Cryptic - December 27, 2024
- Evening Standard Cryptic - November 22, 2024
- Daily Cryptic - November 16, 2024
- Daily Cryptic - October 29, 2024
- Evening Standard Cryptic - July 12, 2024
- Daily Cryptic - July 09, 2024
- Daily Quick - June 27, 2024
- Daily Cryptic - April 28, 2024
- Evening Standard Cryptic - March 22, 2024
- Evening Standard Cryptic - December 01, 2023
- Daily Cryptic - November 16, 2023
- Daily Quick - November 09, 2023
- USA Today - October 13, 2023
- Mindfood Daily - August 04, 2023
- Evening Standard Cryptic - June 16, 2023
- LA Times - May 27, 2023
- And in 72 more crossword puzzles...