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 of scrum

• throng
• crowd
• swarm
• flock
• horde
• mob

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

In one snap, the President, viewed from above, points his finger crossly, as if scolding a scrum of unruly children. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 24 July 2026

The Bok scrum, with new cap Carlu Sadie at tighthead, monstered Wales' eight back over their own tryline to gain the put-in. — ABC News, 18 July 2026

Clark later publicly stated in her first media scrum since the punch that the WNBA needs to do better at protecting its players, admitting that Thomas' punch was a clear flagrant foul and criticizing the overall state of the league's officiating. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2026

Boarding-day lunch at Carnival’s Lido Marketplace, for example, is a frenzied scrum of hangry travelers dragging oversized carry-ons through tight aisles. — Kristy Tolley, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

short for scrummage, alteration of scrimmage

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for scrum

• bum
• chum
• come
• crum
• cum
• drum
• dum
• dumb
• from
• frum
• glum
• gum