scramble

1 of 2

verb

scram·​ble ˈskram-bəl How to pronounce scramble (audio)
scrambled; scrambling ˈskram-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce scramble (audio)

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move with urgency or panic
scrambled to his feet
b
: to move or climb hastily especially on all fours
scramble over rocks
2
a
: to struggle eagerly or unceremoniously for possession of something
scramble for front seats
players scrambling for the ball
b
: to get or gather something with difficulty or in irregular ways
scramble for a living
3
: to spread or grow irregularly : sprawl, straggle
4
of an interceptor fighter aircraft : to take off quickly in response to an alert
5
of a football quarterback : to run with the ball after the pass protection breaks down

transitive verb

1
: to collect or put together hastily
scramble up a dinner for unexpected guests
2
a
: to toss or mix together in confusion : to throw into disorder : jumble
Bad weather often scrambles the train schedules.
scrambled the pages of the manuscript
b
: to prepare (eggs) by stirring during frying
scramble some eggs for breakfast
3
: to cause or order (interceptor fighter aircraft) to take off quickly
Keating said he ordered the fighters to be scrambled immediately after seeing information about the crash on television.Lolita C. Baldor
4
: to disarrange the elements of a transmission (such as a telephone or television signal) in order to make unintelligible to interception
scrambler noun

scramble

2 of 2

noun

1
: the act or an instance of scrambling: such as
a
: the act of moving or climbing over something quickly especially on all fours
a scramble over the boulders
b
: a jostling and pushing for possession
a scramble for the ball
c
: an eager and unceremonious or unscrupulous struggle
a scramble for power
d
: a rapid emergency takeoff of interceptor fighter aircraft
e
football : a play in which the quarterback runs with the ball while being chased by defensive players after the pass protection breaks down
He gained 10 yards on the scramble.
2
: a disordered mass : jumble
a … scramble of patterns and texturesVogue
3
golf : a team competition in which all the members of a team tee off on each hole, one of the tee shots is selected, all members hit shots from the position of the selected shot, one shot is again selected, and the process is continued until the hole is completed
Sawgrass seemed a far cry from the first competitive golf event I ever played in, a weekend scramble at my local club.David Owen

Examples of scramble in a Sentence

Verb We scrambled over the boulders and kept climbing up the mountain. He scrambled up the ramp. reporters scrambling to finish stories by deadline Both players scrambled for the ball. News of the factory closing found workers scrambling to find jobs. It started to rain, and we all scrambled for cover. I'll scramble some eggs for breakfast. Noun a quick scramble over boulders the scramble for power in the country a scramble for the ball There was a mad scramble to fill vacant positions at the school. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Survivors are scrambling for food, water and medicine. Susannah George, Washington Post, 26 Nov. 2023 Chicago officials are scrambling to find shelter for more than 2,000 migrants, plus long-term housing for thousands more already crammed into overcrowded shelters. Josh Feldman, NBC News, 26 Nov. 2023 The solution for almost every problem In 2007, the studio was scrambling to finish its first movie, Iron Man, before the WGA prohibited its members from contributing any further work. Joanna Robinson, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2023 Novo Nordisk plans to invest more than 16 billion Danish crowns ($2.34 billion) to boost production of its weight-loss drugs at a site in Chartres, France, scrambling to keep up with soaring demand. Reuters, Fortune Europe, 23 Nov. 2023 Those clients will need to know that Microsoft’s vital code can’t be scrambled by a Silicon Valley soap opera. David Marino-Nachison, WSJ, 20 Nov. 2023 OpenAI is now scrambling to reset its own experiment in designing corporate governance resilient to both superintelligent AI and ordinary human squabbles. WIRED, 19 Nov. 2023 The high cost of rent has become a pressing issue for the city’s political leaders, who are scrambling to find ways to keep their constituents from slipping into homelessness. Dorany Pineda, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2023 With shows scrambling to get back up and running now that both strikes are settled, a number of series are being pushed to later dates. Joe Otterson, Variety, 15 Nov. 2023
Noun
The Olympic truce, rooted in the traditions of ancient Greece and reimagined three decades ago for the modern Games, has become as much a part of the ritual prelude to the events as the lighting of the torch and the scramble for hotel rooms. Andrew Keh, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2023 The Grammy winner and longtime golf fan took part in a special celebrity four-hole scramble at the El Cardonal, which was designed by his friend and golf champion Tiger Woods. Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 10 Nov. 2023 The industry is now engaged in a mad scramble to get movies finished for next year’s summer blockbuster season, and to get TV series up and running before the winter and new year holiday break hits in December. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 10 Nov. 2023 The tragedy of the situation for medical professionals like Hart is that the shortages are preventable because they were not prompted by the kind of unforeseen events—like COVID lockdowns or natural disasters—which led to a similar scramble for semiconductor chips two years ago. Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2023 Sophomore quarterback Ayden Lester scored on a 38-yard scramble when he was chased out of the pocket on the first Cardinal drive of the third quarter and the second half rout was on. Nwa Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2023 The last-minute scramble reflects the collision of two of Biden's chief goals: countering China and marching in lockstep with labor unions. Jeff Stein and Tyler Pager The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 13 Nov. 2023 The last-minute scramble reflects the collision of two of Biden’s chief goals: countering China and marching in lockstep with labor unions. Tyler Pager, Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2023 Video footage captured the sound of a blast that shook the sprawling medical complex, setting off a scramble among people sheltering there. Stacy Meichtry, WSJ, 10 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scramble.' 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

Verb

perhaps alteration of scrabble entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1568, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scramble was in 1568

Dictionary Entries Near scramble

Cite this Entry

“Scramble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scramble. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

scramble

1 of 2 verb
scram·​ble ˈskram-bəl How to pronounce scramble (audio)
scrambled; scrambling -b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce scramble (audio)
1
a
: to move with urgency or panic
b
: to move or climb hastily on all fours
2
: to strive or struggle for something
scramble for front seats
3
a
: to toss or mix together : jumble
b
: to cook the mixed whites and yolks of eggs by stirring them while frying
scrambler noun

scramble

2 of 2 noun
1
: a scrambling movement
2
: a disordered mess

More from Merriam-Webster on scramble

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