scrounge

verb

scrounged; scrounging

transitive verb

1
2
a
: to get as needed by or as if by foraging, scavenging, or borrowing
scrounging enough money for a bus ticket
b
: finagle, wheedle
often used with up

intransitive verb

: to search about and turn up something needed from whatever source is available
also : to actively seek money, work, or sustenance from any available source
scrounger noun

Examples of scrounge in a Sentence

I managed to scrounge enough money for a bus ticket. He's always scrounging off his friends instead of paying for things himself. We scrounged around for firewood. We managed to scrounge some firewood.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What starts as a decadent feast on the top level is nibbled away en route, until those in the lower depths of the building are scrounging for scraps and licking empty dishes. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2024 Bots scrounging for tickets for resellers haven’t helped. Mark Dent, thehustle.co, 13 Sep. 2024 Who scrounged to build her home and start a small business, struggled to meet a payroll and was forced to deal with clueless bureaucrats. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024 Those still in the dark were scrounging for ice – a commodity hard to come by – to salvage the food in their refrigerators. Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 12 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for scrounge 

Word History

Etymology

alteration of English dialect scrunge to wander about idly

First Known Use

circa 1909, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scrounge was circa 1909

Dictionary Entries Near scrounge

Cite this Entry

“Scrounge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrounge. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

scrounge

verb
scrounged; scrounging
1
: to collect by or as if by rummaging
scrounge around for firewood
2
: to get by coaxing or persuading
scrounge a dollar from a friend
scrounger noun

More from Merriam-Webster on scrounge

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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