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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrabbled
Verb
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The manager and infielder, who climbed the same baseball ladder from the Gulf Coast League to Game 7, held for an eternity.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025 -
For firms with 10 to 199 workers, the average family premium climbed to $26,054 in 2025 from $16,977 in 2020, according to a recent KFF report.—
Cheryl Winokur Munk,
CNBC,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After taking an early 3-0 lead and forcing the Ravens to punt on their opening series, Tahj Washington fumbled after a catch and Baltimore’s Alohi Gilman scooped it up and returned it to Miami’s 7, setting up Jackson’s first touchdown pass to Mark Andrews.—
Andre Fernandez,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
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He was sacked seven times and fumbled twice with both loose balls being recovered by the Bills’ defense.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Within hours of the reductions going into effect, hundreds of passengers scrambled to book other flights.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
7 Nov. 2025
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Organizers insist there will be rooms for all and have scrambled to arrange extra accommodation, including on cruise ships, and are offering extra assistance to the most vulnerable nations.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The report, which was first covered by the Washington Post, looked at the top 25 employers in each state that employed the most SNAP and Medicaid recipients.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Nov. 2025
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Ovechkin looked high with his arms raised while drifting toward the boards before turning around to be mobbed by Capitals teammates who had left the bench to celebrate with him.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Indeed, as some of the dachshund pups clambered onto the bed and got close, the Labrador even looked up toward the camera as if calling in reinforcements for help.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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Where a missile had destroyed two multi-storey residential buildings during the night, people clambered over an immense mound of dislocated concrete to pry out victims, footage obtained by Reuters showed.—
Steven Scheer,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Scrabbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabbled. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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