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View synonyms for

scrounge

[ skrounj ]

verb (used with object)

scrounged, scrounging.
  1. to borrow (a small amount or item) with no intention of repaying or returning it:

    to scrounge a cigarette.

  2. to gather together by foraging; seek out:

    We'll try to scrounge enough food for supper from the neighbors.



verb (used without object)

scrounged, scrounging.
  1. to borrow, especially a small item one is not expected to return or replace.

noun

  1. a habitual borrower; sponger.
  2. an act or instance of scrounging.
  3. a person who exists by foraging.

verb phrase

  1. to search or forage for something, especially in a haphazard or disorganized fashion; hunt for:

    We scrounged around for something to eat.

scrounge

/ ʊԻ /

verb

  1. whenintr, sometimes foll by around to search in order to acquire (something) without cost
  2. to obtain or seek to obtain (something) by cadging or begging
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈdzܲԲ, noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of scrounge1

First recorded in 1905–10; alteration of dial. scringe to glean
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Word History and Origins

Origin of scrounge1

C20: variant of dialect scrunge to steal, of obscure origin
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“It shouldn’t be. You shouldn’t scrounge to save money to go somewhere and be told you’ll be put on a waiting list. That should not happen, but it does.”

From

In the end, the Sheriff’s Department said it scrounged up nearly 100 buses, borrowing from nearby counties, the state prison system and the local public transit system in case the winds shifted.

From

Broke and missing his passport but infused with a traveler’s spirit, Khalid scrounges for odd jobs — restaurant work, cleaning the marina, painting someone’s boat — to make enough money to fly back.

From

Who scrounged to build her home and start a small business, struggled to meet a payroll and was forced to deal with clueless bureaucrats.

From

One reason this unprecedentedly tied race is so difficult to handicap is that Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are scrounging for votes in different universes.

From

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