scratch team
Hastily assembled group
A scratch team is a group assembled hastily from whoever is available, rather than selected carefully or trained together.
The term appears in sports, military contexts, and workplace settings: We put together a scratch team for the tournament when half our players couldn't make it.
The implication is makeshift but functional—adequate for the moment rather than optimal.
- second stringSubstitute players, not starters
- ad hocFor this purpose specifically
- hustleEnergetic, aggressive action
- squadSmall working group
- thrown togetherAssembled hastily, without care
huddle · provisional · impromptu · substitute · makeshift · ragtag · ragtag bunch · sports · unprepared · cooperation · temporary · assembled · improvisation · resourcefulness · scramble · sweat · starter · contingency planning
scratch teamwell-oiled machine
Flawlessly coordinated working system
dream team · elite squad · all-star team · national team · varsity team
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