scrum

noun

ˈskrəm 

1

a

or scrummage

ˈskrə-mij 

: 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

Synonyms

• army
• bike [chiefly Scottish]
• cram
• crowd
• crush
• drove
• flock
• herd
• horde
• host
• legion
• mass
• mob
• multitude
• press
• rout
• swarm
• throng

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

Sprint frameworks, scrums and retrospectives break down the work into manageable chunks, foster cross-functional alignment and minimize the fallout from missteps. —Haresh Bhungalia, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024

That created a scrum, with one fan who will forever regret not bringing a glove to the game appearing to miss the ball by mere inches. —Erica Messick, NBC News, 20 Sep. 2024

Dramatic footage from the Senate showed protesters bursting through a door to the floor after a chaotic scrum with officials, while others waved the Mexican flag and chanted from a gallery above. —Tara John, CNN, 11 Sep. 2024

Some journalists quickly grabbed chairs to see above the heads, as the former president faced the scrum. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 11 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

short for scrummage, alteration of scrimmage

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1a