as in struggle
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective
it'll be a long scrabble to pull ourselves out of poverty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to climb
to move (as up or over something) often with the help of the hands in holding or pulling
we scrabbled up a sand dune to get a better view of the sea
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to fumble
to search for something blindly or uncertainly
he frantically scrabbled through the storage chest looking for the needed documents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of scrabble
Oluwatosin Adeshokan, Quartz Africa, 8 Nov. 2019
Across the street from her, a kinetic scrabble of orange and blue runs the height of a five-story brick building like an electric charge.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2019
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
This left the ruling Labour Party scrabbling.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrabble
Noun
In the early 90s, Nigeria’s central government recognized scrabble as a sport.
—Oluwatosin Adeshokan, Quartz Africa, 8 Nov. 2019
Across the street from her, a kinetic scrabble of orange and blue runs the height of a five-story brick building like an electric charge.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2019
Verb
The Eagles have scrabbled at multiple offensive schemes while leveraging the strength of their defense.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
This left the ruling Labour Party scrabbling.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrabble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrabble
Noun
-
With another o-for in the books, the impending free agent declined to talk about his struggles following Monday’s game.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
12 May 2026
-
In the aftermath, Mad's sister, Annabel, becomes a recluse, and Mad struggles to keep the family's bar afloat as the sisters become the center of damaging gossip.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The woman alleged that Vargas later climbed onto the futon and began kissing her, according to the warrant affidavit.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
-
The deal can climb to $25 million with incentives.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
The stress of getting to your airport gate on time, coupled with the excitement of getting to your destination, can cause even the most seasoned of travelers to fumble at security checkpoints.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
-
Santillan appears to be fumbling away his opportunity, allowing nine runs (eight earned) over his last five appearances.—
Mike Barner,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Decades-long legal battle The Supreme Court decision to overturn Glossip’s conviction and death sentence last year marked a major turning point in his decades-long legal battle.—
Linh Tran,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
But the frenzied redistricting battle of the past few months — including a congressional map in his home state thrown out by a court after people voted to approve it, and certain elections postponed in Louisiana and Alabama after mail ballots already went out — has done it.—
Miles Parks,
NPR,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Some turn to residential treatment programs, but the largely unregulated industry that can sometimes led to abuse or further harm, or leave families scrambling for care even after spending thousands of dollars.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
When the war started, governments scrambled to adapt to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for energy flowing to Asia.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
But the companies are now looking increasingly to expand the market for weight-loss drugs that have revolutionized the pharmaceutical space in recent years.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
The 76ers looked tired, injured and shallow, relying on only six guys for most of a short series.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
The fight will be contested at welterweight, and White did not clarify how many rounds the bout would be contested at.—
Mark Puleo,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Uthmeier has taken a courageous stand, and should finish the fight.—
Kimberly Bird,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Three mules ferrying bags of cement clambered past us on their own dirt track that ran shorter and even steeper up to the top.—
Erin Tan,
NBC news,
13 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
Cite this Entry
“Scrabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabble. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
