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
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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
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2025
Lawrence also finds a naivete to Grace’s agony: After scrabbling so hard at the walls that her fingertips bleed, Grace acts like a wounded child, taken aback by her own strength.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 6 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
This left the ruling Labour Party scrabbling.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2025
Lawrence also finds a naivete to Grace’s agony: After scrabbling so hard at the walls that her fingertips bleed, Grace acts like a wounded child, taken aback by her own strength.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrabble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrabble
Noun
-
At the time, the country was in the throes of a political struggle over leadership following the killing, with the interim prime minister, Claude Joseph, initially in charge before his replacement, Ariel Henry, took over.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Lane mentions the farmers’ struggle and how the president did not help them out.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nighttime temperatures are forecast to bottom out near 67 degrees with wind gusts climbing as high as 20 mph.—
Suryatapa Chakraborty,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Even with a game in hand, and a game against Arsenal next month, there is a mountain to climb.—
Caoimhe O'Neill,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In a stunning blowout Friday night, KU fumbled its conference tournament semifinal against the Houston Cougars, losing 69-47.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 Mar. 2026
-
This alone can shave valuable minutes off your screening and help you to breeze through the scanner instead of fumbling at the bins.—
Kayla Kitts,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Longhorns have won the turnover battle in all but three of their games.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
-
When Jokic was out in January, the Nuggets understood that the ideal upset formula involved winning the possession battle.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Officials have been scrambling to ease prices.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Mar. 2026
-
This, in turn, can leave you scrambling to cover basic expenses, especially if your finances were already stretched thin to begin with.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
From the feathery, full brows to lips that look a little lived in, with smudgy, undefined edges, Park’s calling card has become her face card.—
Morgan Fargo,
Vogue,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Yurtseven scored no points but grabbed four rebounds while looking a step or two slow on defense.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The company develops and makes products for civilian and military use, such as drone technologies used by Ukraine's armed forces in the fight against the Russian invasion.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The votes mark incremental progress toward resolving at least some of the vacancies that have fueled the dispute, particularly in Utah, where Holyoak’s interim status has become a flashpoint in the broader fight.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The smugglers let him aboard, and the boy clambered around hatches that, if opened, would reveal dozens of felonies worth of illicit cargo.—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
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The film shows places of uncommon beauty, along with the throngs of visitors who clamber to see them and, crucially, preserve their experiences in photos.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabble. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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