1
as in climbed
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
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2
as in fumbled
to search for something blindly or uncertainly
he frantically scrabbled through the storage chest looking for the needed documents
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Recent Examples of scrabbled
The Eagles have scrabbled at multiple offensive schemes while leveraging the strength of their defense.
—
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrabbled
Verb
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The Idaho Home Learning Academy launched in 2016 with about 250 students and has climbed to nearly 8,000 students.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
13 Jan. 2026
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Beef prices climbed almost 16% over that span.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Denver recovered the ensuing onside kick, but, alas, on the next play, Steve Sewell fumbled the ball back to Buffalo.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
21 Jan. 2026
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Maye finished 16 of 27 for 179 yards but had an interception and fumbled four times, losing two in cold conditions with snow and rain falling throughout the game.—
Kyle Hightower,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After the original aircraft landed, staffers scrambled to transfer luggage between the planes while crew quickly moved boxes of fruit, and wrapped sandwiches and beverages, according to pool reporters, a group of journalists who accompany the president during travels.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
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But the aggressive immigration crackdown in Minnesota, including the killing of Renee Good during a confrontation with federal agents, has scrambled the party's playbook.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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So while Annabeth was happy when the Golden Fleece healed the tree and brought Thalia back in the present, Percy looked downright pissed.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Jan. 2026
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The travel platform looked at multiple flight routes throughout the year to determine which day had the lowest prices.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As men clambered into the world-famous museum, nobody was actively monitoring that specific feed, legislators were told.—
Tom Soufi Burridge,
ABC News,
10 Dec. 2025
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In the mood to handle the lights himself a couple of weeks ago, Foil put up a ladder and clambered atop the roof.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
6 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrabbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabbled. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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