Synonyms of scrumnext
1
a
or scrummage : a rugby play in which the forwards of each side come together in a tight formation and struggle to gain possession of the ball using their feet when it is tossed in among them
also : the arrangement of players in a scrum
b
: a usually brief and disorderly struggle or fight : scrape, scuffle
2
a
British : madhouse sense 2
b
: a usually tightly packed or disorderly crowd : throng
scrummage intransitive verb

Examples of scrum in a Sentence

I had to fight my way through the scrum of holiday shoppers at the mall. when the server spilled a drink on a customer, they got into a bit of a scrum before being separated
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.
Afterward, in his hallway scrum with mostly local reporters, Auriemma settled down and was more himself, more reasonable. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026 Shesterkin appeared to have got the better of Markstrom in the scrum, landing more punches than his goaltending counterpart did. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026 In the closing seconds of the first, Pierre-Luc Dubois rammed Travis Sanheim just in front of the Flyers bench, Zegras came flying in to defend him, and a scrum ensued that included Wilson and Travis Konecny pushing and shoving and jawing with one another. Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026 The defenseman was injured March 22 in a scrum versus the Nashville Predators. Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scrum

Word History

Etymology

short for scrummage, alteration of scrimmage

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of scrum was in 1848

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrum. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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