as in climbing
to move (as up or over something) often with the help of the hands in holding or pulling
clambered over a wall and was never seen again
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of clambering
And all this after clambering up through the Championship play-offs last season.
—
The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 22 May 2026
Dante and Virgil escape Hell by clambering down Satan's monstrous hide and through Earth's center of gravity.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 May 2026
People were clambering for a photo.
—Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
After clambering through the woods, Bowie, with help from her friend Laurie Brasil, reached Shy and was shocked to find Bow sitting right beside her.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
In November, a wildlife photographer out on a whale watching trip in waters off the city captured dramatic video and photos of a pod of killer whales hunting a seal that survived only by clambering onto the stern of her boat.
—CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
The piece is a collection of disused shoemaker boxes, once used by cobblers to keep tools, pressed against each other and stacked up, clambering toward the ceiling.
—Edna Bonhomme, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
By the end of the night, so many fans had crowd-surfed from the pit to the stage, clambering onto the platform, that the band members were barely visible.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Sep. 2025
Even back on board, the show continues after dark, with pelicans and reef sharks drawn to the yacht’s lights and sea lions sometimes clambering onto the aft deck.
—Rachel Ingram, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 22 May 2026
Dante and Virgil escape Hell by clambering down Satan's monstrous hide and through Earth's center of gravity.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 May 2026
People were clambering for a photo.
—Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
After clambering through the woods, Bowie, with help from her friend Laurie Brasil, reached Shy and was shocked to find Bow sitting right beside her.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
In November, a wildlife photographer out on a whale watching trip in waters off the city captured dramatic video and photos of a pod of killer whales hunting a seal that survived only by clambering onto the stern of her boat.
—CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
The piece is a collection of disused shoemaker boxes, once used by cobblers to keep tools, pressed against each other and stacked up, clambering toward the ceiling.
—Edna Bonhomme, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
By the end of the night, so many fans had crowd-surfed from the pit to the stage, clambering onto the platform, that the band members were barely visible.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Sep. 2025
Even back on board, the show continues after dark, with pelicans and reef sharks drawn to the yacht’s lights and sea lions sometimes clambering onto the aft deck.
—Rachel Ingram, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clambering
Verb
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Nneka Ogwumike posted 20 points and 11 rebounds, passing franchise icon Lisa Leslie for most field goals in Sparks history and climbing to sixth on the WNBA’s all-time rebounding list.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
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The sculpture, built as part of Kansas City’s annual Parade of Hearts, was made to be nearly indestructible — safe from children dangling from the bee’s antennas or climbing on the structure.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
At least 65 people were wounded across the city, Ukrainian officials said, in strikes that caused power outages and sent residents scrambling to shelters as air raid sirens sounded.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
-
Arnaldi turned into some version of Carlos Alcaraz, scrambling all over the court, making miracle saves and darting winners down the line.—
Ava Wallace,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clambering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clambering. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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