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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scrabbled
With the June 2 primary weeks away and many voters still undecided, candidates scrabbled for airtime and breakout moments during the chaotic 90-minute debate.
—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
The Eagles have scrabbled at multiple offensive schemes while leveraging the strength of their defense.
—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
The Eagles have scrabbled at multiple offensive schemes while leveraging the strength of their defense.
—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrabbled
Verb
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The cinematic denoument revived some measure of hope in a reeling nation, where the official casualty count announced Saturday climbed to 2,954 dead and 16,592 injured, with thousands remaining missing.
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On July 1, Russian daredevils climbed to the tip of the building's spire before getting engaged, and then arrested.
Verb
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But in her concentration, Porsha fumbled her words, which made the Faithfuls, who were desperate for a crumb of evidence so early in the game, suspicious of her sincerity.
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Before that, Tampa Bay fumbled scoring opportunities in five of the first seven innings and stranded five overall.
Verb
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Once it was passed in October, cities, homeowners, developers and even politicians scrambled to figure out the ramifications.
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But Riyad Mahrez’s goal scrambled that — and his daughter’s TikTok video.
Verb
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White detailed a bizarre, almost miraculous weather event that saved the outdoor fight night just as things looked grim.
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Trade the tricorn hats, bonnets and homespun shirts for flip flops, sneakers and soccer jerseys, and the intrepid revolutionaries of 1776 would have looked a lot like the people of 2026.
Verb
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Cars honked their horns and cyclists pulled over to tune in as flags fluttered in the wind, fans clambered to see the screen, and people hugged and shouted.
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Three mules ferrying bags of cement clambered past us on their own dirt track that ran shorter and even steeper up to the top.
Cite this Entry
“Scrabbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabbled. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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