1
as in climbing
to move (as up or over something) often with the help of the hands in holding or pulling
the toddler scrambled up the stairs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in disrupting
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
scrambled the letters of the word
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scrambling
The situation has left aid organizations scrambling for alternatives, but options are slim, particularly in countries with limited resources.
—
Fatma Tanis, NPR, 6 Apr. 2026
The Mary Washington Eagles had the ball in the final seconds and were scrambling to get last-second shot into the net against the Emory Eagles.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Even so, the messages show the defendants scrambling in the immediate aftermath to shape the country’s future and their own.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
But, during the regular season, teams without a hope of making the playoffs started scrambling to detonate their records to get a shot at a future star player—and some teams, most notably the 76ers of the twenty-tens, engaged in a long process of strategic losing in order to stockpile picks.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
The American military was scrambling to find the second aviator after official and semiofficial Iranian news organizations reported that a regional governor had offered a bounty for its crew.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026
On top of a greying workforce, more than 300,000 accountants left the profession between 2019 and 2022, leaving firms scrambling to fill roles—and, in some cases, contributing to costly reporting errors.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026
The best scoring chance in the first half didn’t require a save as Washington’s Leicy Santos missed wide left on a wide-open net with Silkowitz scrambling after a low cross.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2026
Countries like Canada, China and Australia are now scrambling to lure skilled foreign workers by making their visa processes easier.
—Shanelle Kaul, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Fatma Tanis, NPR, 6 Apr. 2026
The Mary Washington Eagles had the ball in the final seconds and were scrambling to get last-second shot into the net against the Emory Eagles.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Even so, the messages show the defendants scrambling in the immediate aftermath to shape the country’s future and their own.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
But, during the regular season, teams without a hope of making the playoffs started scrambling to detonate their records to get a shot at a future star player—and some teams, most notably the 76ers of the twenty-tens, engaged in a long process of strategic losing in order to stockpile picks.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
The American military was scrambling to find the second aviator after official and semiofficial Iranian news organizations reported that a regional governor had offered a bounty for its crew.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026
On top of a greying workforce, more than 300,000 accountants left the profession between 2019 and 2022, leaving firms scrambling to fill roles—and, in some cases, contributing to costly reporting errors.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026
The best scoring chance in the first half didn’t require a save as Washington’s Leicy Santos missed wide left on a wide-open net with Silkowitz scrambling after a low cross.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2026
Countries like Canada, China and Australia are now scrambling to lure skilled foreign workers by making their visa processes easier.
—Shanelle Kaul, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrambling
Verb
-
To get on a bus is to spend some time climbing aboard, or being pushed from behind, or being pulled up by the armpit.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
-
This weekend the heat is back, with inland valleys climbing into the mid-80s and San Francisco on track to hit 80 degrees for the eighth or ninth time this year.—
Greg Porter,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Gangs control significant supply routes, disrupting access to medicine and equipment.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The cyberattack affected Stryker’s internal Microsoft software system, disrupting the company’s order processing, manufacturing and shipping.—
William Akoto,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The piece is a collection of disused shoemaker boxes, once used by cobblers to keep tools, pressed against each other and stacked up, clambering toward the ceiling.—
Edna Bonhomme,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
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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
Verb
-
These chips spend most of their energy shuffling data between a memory unit and a processor.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Mar. 2026
-
So what better way to cap all that off than closing out the Oscars — even if the clip played while the audience was shuffling out of the theater and calling their Ubers.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As if that wasn’t confusing enough, not all Christians agree on what day of the calendar that specific Sunday is.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
4 Apr. 2026
-
However, following the path of Artemis II may be confusing as the astronauts, mission control and others use confusing jargon and phrases.—
ByMary Kekatos,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Fitbits also feature silent alarms; the tracker will vibrate at a specific time and gently wake you up without disturbing others.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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In March, as Sonko made his way to court to face the charges, he was arrested for disturbing public order after supporters rallied around him; his arrest sparked days of protests that resulted in the deaths of at least 14 people.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrambling. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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