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 The shooting has led to a complicated scrum of lawsuits and countersuits involving Baldwin, Gutierrez Reed, Hutchins’ relatives, crew members, the production company, insurance companies, and the Bonanza Creek Ranch, where the incident took place. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 One man throws a wad of cash down into the ring, creating a scrum of men scrambling in the cloud of bills. Toby Muse, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024 In a brief clip from what looked like the video for the song, Charli does a runway-worthy strut past a scrum of shouting paparazzi in an airport. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 28 Feb. 2024 Jalen Brunson playfully tried to escape a media scrum in front of his locker by announcing that Josh Hart was ready to talk to reporters. Dan Gelston, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2024 But then Bryant and Alvarado began fighting and appeared to exchange blows, as another scrum formed around them before officials took control and sent both teams to their benches. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2024 Moments later, the teams combined for 56 penalty minutes and five misconducts in a huge scrum, followed by another scrap after the final whistle. Greg Beacham, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2024 The same scrum is a near-daily occurrence, often with locker neighbors Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Slater, Mason Black and J.D. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024 The Flames played the final 44 minutes down a forward after second-line winger Martin Pospisil leveled Boston captain Brad Marchand during a scrum in front of Calgary’s net with four minutes left in the opening period. Doug Alden, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scrum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near scrum

Cite this Entry

“Scrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrum. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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