: a thin growth of beard : stubble
He's lean, and not too tall, with spiky hair, scruff on his chin, and a deep voice.—
Margot Cleary
Margot ClearyThe uniform isn't so much suit and tie as it is plaid shirt, work boots, and two-day scruff.—Laura Regensdorf
Laura RegensdorfExamples of scruff in a Sentence
Noun (1)
She held the kitten by the scruff of its neck.
Recent Examples on the WebPaula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2024
One wonders what Spencer thinks about Toby’s new scruff?
—EW.com, 9 May 2024
Shelter officials suspect that a larger dog may have attacked the puppies, picking them up and shaking them by their scruffs.
—Emily Zentner, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024
Lean and mean, eyes fixed, raffish with his unbuttoned collar and scruff, Sherman looks alive, alert, and every bit the eternal soldier.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scruff 
Noun
My job is to grab readers by the scruff of the neck and pull them into the story.
—Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2024
One wonders what Spencer thinks about Toby’s new scruff?
—EW.com, 9 May 2024
Shelter officials suspect that a larger dog may have attacked the puppies, picking them up and shaking them by their scruffs.
—Emily Zentner, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024
Lean and mean, eyes fixed, raffish with his unbuttoned collar and scruff, Sherman looks alive, alert, and every bit the eternal soldier.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scruff
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scruff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near scruff
Cite this Entry
“Scruff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scruff. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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