scrum

play

noun \ ˈskrəm \

Definition of scrum

1 a or scrummage play \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 2

b :a usually tightly packed or disorderly crowd :throng

—

scrummage

intransitive verb

See scrum defined for English-language learners

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 of scrum from the Web

Kelter, a 23-year-old scrum half who is one of the top American players, scored seven of her team's points Tuesday.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "Alaska rugby star Kelter loses shot at World Cup gold," 23 Aug. 2017
A corner kick by Seattle's Joevin Jones floated into the penalty area, and Minnesota's Jermaine Taylor was called for a hand ball in a scrum of players battling for possession.

— USA TODAY, "Clint Dempsey PK goal leads Seattle Sounders to last-minute win over Minnesota United," 21 Aug. 2017
Rauner will have the traditional state fair speeches and media scrum at his disposal to assail Democrats and make an early pitch for re-election next year.

— chicago tribune staff, chicagotribune.com, "Morning Spin: Rauner gets his day at State Fair as Madigan calls meeting at Capitol," 16 Aug. 2017
QB PRIMER: If Richard Lagow takes next step, so will IU While coaches such as Urban Meyer, Mark Dantonio and Kirk Ferentz had hordes of reporters surrounding their tables, Allen had a relatively small scrum around him.

— brody miller, The Courier-Journal, "Tom Allen not running from Kevin Wilson's shadow," 24 July 2017
Gorsuch, who turns 50 next month, has wasted little time jumping into the ideological scrum of Supreme Court arguments and deliberations.

— bill mears, Fox News, "Gorsuch already making conservative mark on Supreme Court, amid Kennedy rumors," 6 July 2017
Maneuvering the 100 yards between the courthouse steps and the car sometimes requires Shkreli to deal with a scrum of 40 to 50 members of the press, a stressful situation for someone with anxiety such as Shkreli, Brafman said.

— renae merle, latimes.com, "Judge tells Martin Shkreli: Keep your mouth shut," 5 July 2017
By adding Millsap to a high-upside core, Denver has ensured a place in the scrum with a fighting chance.

— rob mahoney, SI.com, "Grades: Paul Millsap Is The Star Denver Has Long Been Chasing," 3 July 2017
Amid the scrum, there are signs Republican opposition is only growing.

— david z. morris, Fortune, "Republicans Scramble to Shore Up Support for Healthcare Bill," 25 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scrum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of scrum

short for scrummage, alteration of scrimmage

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1857

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scrum Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Related Words

masses, millions, rabble, rabblement, riffraff; gaggle; heap, mountain, pile; jam, logjam

Near Antonyms

truce

Other Field and Goal Sports Terms

crease, lateral, lax, overthrow, playbook, post, screen, secondary, ultimate

SCRUM Defined for English Language Learners

scrum

play

noun

Definition of scrum for English Language Learners

rugby : a way of starting play again in which players from each team come together and try to get control of the ball by pushing against each other and using their feet when the ball is thrown in between them
: the group of players who are involved in a scrum
: a large group of people who are close together in one place

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scrum

Definition of scrum

scrummage

Examples of scrum in a Sentence

Recent Examples of scrum from the Web

Origin and Etymology of scrum

scrum Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Field and Goal Sports Terms

SCRUM Defined for English Language Learners

scrum

Definition of scrum for English Language Learners

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scrum

Definition of scrum

scrummage

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Examples of scrum in a Sentence

Recent Examples of scrum from the Web

Origin and Etymology of scrum

scrum Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Field and Goal Sports Terms

SCRUM Defined for English Language Learners

scrum

Definition of scrum for English Language Learners

Learn More about scrum

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