How to Use scratchy in a Sentence
scratchy
adjective-
Polyester blends hold up the best in the wash, and against stains, but can be scratchy and sweaty.
—Ana Sanchez, chicagotribune.com, 19 Dec. 2020
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Calvin has kind of a scratchy voice and a Bronx accent.
—Fiona Moriarty-McLaughlin, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Aug. 2019
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Have had a scratchy throat and tacky breathing for a few days.
—Eliza Fawcett, courant.com, 21 Sep. 2020
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His scratchy throat had progressed to a dry cough, headache, joint pain and fever.
—Jonel Aleccia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2021
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Hours after the scratchy throat appeared, a fever set in.
—Torey Van Oot Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 20 Sep. 2020
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Plus there is nothing scratchy about the fabric, and the stitching is tight.
—Daley Quinn, Verywell Health, 13 Sep. 2023
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The material is very soft against the skin, not scratchy at all.
—Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2024
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First, your throat gets scratchy and your eyes begin to water.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 6 Oct. 2022
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In addition to being soft to the touch, the sweats also have no scratchy tags.
—Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 25 Sep. 2023
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The brushstrokes are loose and scratchy, showing the bristles of the brush that created them.
—Brienne Walsh, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2021
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The Xerénte began to wear clothes, but the clothes soon smelled and grew scratchy, so the Xerénte gave them back to the sun, and the sun gave them to the moon, and the moon gave them to the Portuguese.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2022
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There are plenty of options that aren’t too tight, or even worse, itchy or scratchy.
—Madeline Fass, Vogue, 20 Nov. 2020
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The top symptoms were a sore, scratchy throat and a smattering of sniffles.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 27 Dec. 2022
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The first is that while none of the textiles came out of the dryer with lingering residue, some of them did feel stiff and/or scratchy.
—Quincy Bulin, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2023
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When your torso feels like a cat’s tongue: warm but slightly scratchy.
—Julie Vick sarah Garfinkel, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2019
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The knit is thick and cozy but is so deliciously soft – not heavy or scratchy at all.
—Emily Ruane, refinery29.com, 20 Oct. 2020
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Children of the ‘70s will remember the scratchy webbing strips stretched over the aluminum frames of a lawn chair.
—Sunset Magazine, 14 June 2022
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And no, wool doesn't have to be scratchy, stiff, or hot in another season.
—Meg Donohue, Town & Country, 5 Jan. 2023
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The Santa Ana winds expected to gust this week will cause their share of stuffy noses and scratchy eyes as well.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2022
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Itchy, scratchy – prone to getting slightly damp and staying that way – wool to keep us warm.
—Jennifer Jolly, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2023
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Our testers liked the look of the bamboo, but some noted the straw was a bit scratchy, which is common with all bamboo straws.
—Emma Seymour, Good Housekeeping, 13 Apr. 2021
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His voice was scratchy, never smooth, but the music could put a baby to sleep when it was turned down low.
—Beth Thames | Bethmthames@gmail.com, al, 26 May 2021
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The uniforms were scratchy and ugly, a maroon, gray, yellow, and white plaid that would haunt me for decades.
—ELLE, 6 July 2022
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Kari Sonde has gathered sick-day recipes for when the inevitable scratchy throats and rumbly bellies hit us.
—The Washington Post, 15 Jan. 2020
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Keep in Mind Wool blankets can feel scratchy, and this one is no exception.
—Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2023
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The most comfortable linen sheets, like our overall top pick from Quince, feel soft, not scratchy.
—Lisa Lombardi, wsj.com, 25 Sep. 2023
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Grass, hay and straw stuffed into sacks or cloth bags served as a scratchy mattress for centuries.
—Brian Fagan, Quartzy, 4 Oct. 2019
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In scratchy handwriting that was hard to make out, the document said that the parents’ first names were Miguel and María.
—Nicholas Casey, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2022
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Hidden in the lush surrounding terrain, southern house wrens croon their scratchy wake-up call and whistling kiskadees compete with bellowing Howler monkeys.
—Terry Ward, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2023
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Seasonal allergies can cause an itchy or scratchy sore throat, as well as sneezing, stuffy nose, and itchy or watery eyes.1 Allergies usually cause a sore throat if mucus is draining down into your throat, which irritates it.
—Emilia Benton, Health, 1 June 2024
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scratchy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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