1 B2 idiomatic informal
To gather enough money or resources with difficulty.
"Can you scratch up twenty dollars for the taxi? I'll pay you back tomorrow."
separable
scratch up
B2 informal separable transitive
To gather or collect something, especially money, with difficulty; also to damage a surface by scratching.
In plain English
To find or collect a small amount of something with a lot of effort, or to make scratch marks on a surface.
What does "scratch up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To damage a surface by making scratches on it.
"The dog had scratched up the back door trying to get inside."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To scratch (score a surface) upward, or to scratch things up from the ground into a pile.
Actually means
To find or collect a small amount of something with a lot of effort, or to make scratch marks on a surface.
Usage tip
Less common than 'scrape up'. Has both a literal sense (damage by scratching) and an idiomatic sense (gather with difficulty). The literal sense is straightforward; the idiomatic sense is informal.
Words that pair with "scratch up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
money cash surface paint funds support
How to conjugate "scratch up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
scratch up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
scratches up
he/she/it
Past simple
scratched up
yesterday
Past participle
scratched up
have + pp
-ing form
scratching up
continuous
Hear "scratch up" in the wild
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