clambered; clambering
ˈklam-b(ə-)riŋ 
ˈklam-riŋ,
ˈkla-mər-iŋ
: to climb awkwardly or with effort especially by using both the hands and the feet
We clambered over the rocks.
They clambered up the hill.
Examples of clamber in a Sentence
The children clambered over the rocks.
We clambered up the steep hill.
Recent Examples on the Web
Teenagers clambered onto pickup trucks and garden ledges for better vantage points.
—
Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2023
On Christmas Island, red crabs clamber over a steel span during their beachward migrations; in Kenya, elephants lumber beneath highways and railroads via passages as tall as two-story houses.
—Ben Goldfarb, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023
On game nights, the park, Square Léon, is buzzing with older men crowded around checker tables, little kids clambering up playground equipment and older women in West African dresses selling bags of homemade doughnuts and slushy ginger drinks that both tickle and soothe the throat.
—Catherine Porter James Hill, New York Times, 25 July 2023
Indeed, his partner, Clint Hill, the Secret Service agent who clambered onto the back of the speeding limousine in a futile effort to save Kennedy, discouraged Landis from speaking out.
—Peter Baker, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023
Indeed, his partner, Clint Hill, the legendary Secret Service agent who clambered onto the back of the speeding limousine in a futile effort to save Kennedy, discouraged Mr. Landis from speaking out.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2023
Despite that, the Telluride cockpit sits low enough that most folks can settle into the car rather than clambering up and in.
—Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 8 Sep. 2023
Men swarmed Martyrs Square, taking selfies and clambering onto a monument.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 16 Aug. 2023
The then-candidate had to clamber over a concrete barrier off the freeway and enter the convention site through a back door because protesters overwhelmed police in riot gear at the Burlingame hotel where the convention was taking place.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2023
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Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2023
On Christmas Island, red crabs clamber over a steel span during their beachward migrations; in Kenya, elephants lumber beneath highways and railroads via passages as tall as two-story houses.
—Ben Goldfarb, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023
On game nights, the park, Square Léon, is buzzing with older men crowded around checker tables, little kids clambering up playground equipment and older women in West African dresses selling bags of homemade doughnuts and slushy ginger drinks that both tickle and soothe the throat.
—Catherine Porter James Hill, New York Times, 25 July 2023
Indeed, his partner, Clint Hill, the Secret Service agent who clambered onto the back of the speeding limousine in a futile effort to save Kennedy, discouraged Landis from speaking out.
—Peter Baker, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023
Indeed, his partner, Clint Hill, the legendary Secret Service agent who clambered onto the back of the speeding limousine in a futile effort to save Kennedy, discouraged Mr. Landis from speaking out.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2023
Despite that, the Telluride cockpit sits low enough that most folks can settle into the car rather than clambering up and in.
—Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 8 Sep. 2023
Men swarmed Martyrs Square, taking selfies and clambering onto a monument.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 16 Aug. 2023
The then-candidate had to clamber over a concrete barrier off the freeway and enter the convention site through a back door because protesters overwhelmed police in riot gear at the Burlingame hotel where the convention was taking place.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clamber.' 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
Middle English clambren; akin to Old English climban to climb
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of clamber was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near clamber
Cite this Entry
“Clamber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clamber. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.
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