scrabble 1 of 2

scrabble

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to climb
to move (as up or over something) often with the help of the hands in holding or pulling we scrabbled up a sand dune to get a better view of the sea

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in to fumble
to search for something blindly or uncertainly he frantically scrabbled through the storage chest looking for the needed documents

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of scrabble
Noun
Across the street from her, a kinetic scrabble of orange and blue runs the height of a five-story brick building like an electric charge. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2019 Anthony was happiest being with family & friends, and enjoyed playing scrabble & cards. courant.com, 10 July 2019
Verb
People were scrabbling over these enormous piles far off in the distance. Jane Siegel, Travel + Leisure, 5 June 2025 When these three men were dominating the circuit, the rest of the field were reduced to scrabbling over the crumbs. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for scrabble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrabble
Noun
  • Friction is the artist's struggle, the mentor's challenge, and the co-founder's disagreement.
    Curt Steinhorst, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Those struggles compounded during an alarming first half last season, spurring former coach Peter Laviolette to try something new.
    Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Caribs encamped on the summit of a steep cliff surrounded by high precipices, which could only be climbed by a narrow secret pathway.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 19 Sep. 2025
  • The combination of climbing around this strange building and having heard the almost legendary stories about Karl-Göran was evocative and haunting.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Lucille Ball once lost her glasses on stage at the Emmys and had to fumble her way through.
    Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Seconds thereafter, the Clippers fumbled the ball away once again, setting up Gloucester with another short field.
    Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Republicans were unfazed by Democrats threatening to withhold their votes, accusing them of hypocrisy for condemning GOP efforts to win policy concessions in past funding battles.
    Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The iconic items fit well in this book given how many Avengers don’t feel complete without a gadget or mystical item to carry into battle.
    Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • When Helene hit, North Carolina’s VIPER radio system — the statewide network first responders use to talk to each other — was quickly overloaded, forcing agencies to scramble onto backup VHF channels.
    Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Romania scrambled fighter jets in response to the drone crossing into its territory, Bucharest said.
    semafor.com, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The jeans also have a cropped length that hits right at the ankle and patch pockets that not only look cute, but are also functional.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The order, which, again, acts like one blanket prescription, allows pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to look at FDA approval for vaccines and not ACIP recommendations.
    Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Yet two of the first three weekends on CU’s fight card have resembled the Kansas and Kansas State losses of 2024.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Naoya Inoue, who is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters and 30-0, is defending his super bantamweight title on Sunday in Japan, just hours after Álvarez and Crawford fight.
    Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Where a missile had destroyed two multi-storey residential buildings during the night, people clambered over an immense mound of dislocated concrete to pry out victims, footage obtained by Reuters showed.
    Steven Scheer, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
  • By the end of the night, so many fans had crowd-surfed from the pit to the stage, clambering onto the platform, that the band members were barely visible.
    Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scrabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabble. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on scrabble

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!