scurry

verb

scur·​ry ˈskər-ē How to pronounce scurry (audio)
ˈskə-rē
scurried; scurrying

intransitive verb

1
: to move in or as if in a brisk pace : scamper
2
: to move around in an agitated, confused, or fluttering manner
scurry noun

Examples of scurry in a Sentence

She scurried off to finish the job. Mice scurried around the house.
Recent Examples on the Web Johnson and Hernández scurried away after the tumble. USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2024 At which point, the swank crowd in the rink-turned-club rose up, dancing in place, bellowing out lyrics in sync — and not scurrying, as is the L.A. norm at almost 9 p.m. — out to the valet. Merle Ginsberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2024 This time, on third-and-9 from Kansas City’s 41, Lamar Jackson dropped back and tried to scurry around, but Chiefs safety Justin Reid wrapped him up for a sack. Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2024 Investigative reporters at other media outlets scurried to follow The Times’ reporting. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2024 The way pedestrians scurried along to make a traffic light. Lauretta Charlton, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024 If the mice had not yet moved, the disk’s motion caused the rodents to scurry to the tunnel. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2023 The actor, meanwhile, held their youngest son, as Dakota then scurried away from his mom, who was still holding his hand, dragging her around in a circle. Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 2 Dec. 2023 Senate staff members scurried to gather their belongings and raced into the chamber. Sarah D. Wire, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2024

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

short for hurry-scurry, reduplication of hurry

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scurry was in 1810

Dictionary Entries Near scurry

Cite this Entry

“Scurry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scurry. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

scurry

verb
scur·​ry ˈskər-ē How to pronounce scurry (audio)
ˈskə-rē
scurried; scurrying
: to move briskly : scamper
scurry noun

More from Merriam-Webster on scurry

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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