scrape through
B2Informal, colloquial
Definition
Meaning
to succeed in something, but only just and with great difficulty, often with the lowest possible acceptable score or result.
Used figuratively to describe barely avoiding failure in any situation, such as a narrow escape from an accident or a financial crisis.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies marginal success, often associated with relief rather than pride. Connotes a lack of preparation or natural ability, overcoming obstacles by a very small margin.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Used in both varieties with identical meaning. Slightly more common in British English in academic/pass/fail contexts.
Connotations
Neutral to slightly negative in both, emphasizing the lack of comfort or security in the success.
Frequency
More frequent in British English corpus data; understood and used in American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] scrape through ([object])[Subject] scrape through + (prepositional phrase: e.g., 'with a 51%')Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “by the skin of one's teeth”
- “squeak by”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'The company scraped through the quarter by cutting all non-essential costs.'
Academic
'His thesis was weak, but he scraped through the defense.'
Everyday
'I didn't revise much, but I think I'll scrape through the driving test.'
Technical
Rare; more likely in project management: 'The team scraped through the deadline with a minimal viable product.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He scraped through his A-levels with three D grades.
- The bill scraped through Parliament by just two votes.
American English
- She scraped through the chemistry final with a 62%.
- The bill scraped through the Senate committee.
adverb
British English
- They qualified scrape-through, much to everyone's surprise.
- He passed scrape-through, needing a remark on his paper.
American English
- They made the playoffs scrape-through, after a tiebreaker.
- She graduated scrape-through, after retaking two classes.
adjective
British English
- A scrape-through pass is still a pass.
- It was a scrape-through victory for the home team.
American English
- A scrape-through win saved their season.
- He had a scrape-through performance in the audition.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I hope I can scrape through the maths test.
- He scraped through the first round of the competition.
- Despite missing several lectures, she managed to scrape through the module with a bare minimum pass.
- The new legislation scraped through Congress after intense lobbying.
- The startup scraped through its first fiscal year by operating on a shoestring budget and maximising owner equity.
- His dissertation was criticised for its methodology, but he scraped through the viva on the strength of his original data.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a car SCRAPING its underside loudly as it drives THROUGH a very shallow tunnel — it just barely fits and gets through, but it's a close, uncomfortable call.
Conceptual Metaphor
SUCCESS IS A NARROW PHYSICAL PASSAGE (where one barely fits and may get scraped or damaged in the process).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation 'скрести через'. The Russian equivalent is often 'проскочить' or 'еле-еле сдать/пройти'.
- Do not confuse with 'scrape together' (насобирать).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'scrape' without 'through' (e.g., 'He scraped the exam').
- Confusing preposition: 'scrape over' or 'scrape across' is incorrect.
Practice
Quiz
Which scenario BEST illustrates 'scraping through'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it can be used for organisations, teams, bills in parliament, or any entity achieving a marginal success (e.g., 'The team scraped through to the finals').
It's inherently neutral/negative, focusing on the difficulty and narrow margin. The relief is positive, but the achievement itself is not framed as impressive.
'Get through' is more neutral, meaning simply to complete or survive. 'Scrape through' specifically adds the meaning of doing so barely and with difficulty.
It is a phrasal verb (verb + particle). 'Through' functions as an adverb particle, and the combination has a non-literal, idiomatic meaning.