scram·ble
ˈskram-bəl 
scrambled; scrambling
ˈskram-b(ə-)liŋ
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
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
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
Lolita C. Baldor4
: to disarrange the elements of a transmission (such as a telephone or television signal) in order to make unintelligible to interception
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 textures—Vogue
Vogue3
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
David OwenExamples 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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Yet, too often, nonprofits are forced to operate in a state of financial precarity, relying on a single source of funding or scrambling to adjust to shifting donor priorities.
—Firaaz Azeez, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Uncertainty looms The mad scramble to restart, ramp up or ship out orders from China is all the more complex for businesses due to pervasive uncertainty not only around where US-China tariffs will ultimately land, but also US duties on other countries in the region.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scramble
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Verb
The cancellation has jeopardized research in universities in virtually every state, leaving researchers scrambling to find funding for projects that in many cases are only partly completed.
—Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Yet, too often, nonprofits are forced to operate in a state of financial precarity, relying on a single source of funding or scrambling to adjust to shifting donor priorities.
—Firaaz Azeez, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Noun
Whatever tumult continues to envelop the TV/streaming advertising industry, there is something comforting about the media swallows returning to Capistrano/Manhattan for the formal kick off to the now perpetual scramble for ad dollars in the media industry.
—Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Uncertainty looms The mad scramble to restart, ramp up or ship out orders from China is all the more complex for businesses due to pervasive uncertainty not only around where US-China tariffs will ultimately land, but also US duties on other countries in the region.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scramble
Cite this Entry
“Scramble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scramble. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scramble
1 of 2 verb
scram·ble
ˈskram-bəl
scrambled; scrambling
-b(ə-)liŋ
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
scramble
2 of 2 noun1
: a scrambling movement
2
: a disordered mess
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