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
-
The Hoosiers have climbed out of that hole thanks to Cignetti.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
Admission has steadily climbed since 2023, underscoring the interest in theatrical experiences.—
Daron James,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
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As print and television media fumbled their way online, Gawker used the internet to pull back the curtain on celebrity, mainstream media, politics and creeping commercialism.—
Frank DiGiacomo,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
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In its bid to get out in front of the FCC’s inquiry, however, the NFL may have fumbled its advantage over CBS.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
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There’s Greek coffee, creamy yogurt, homemade seedy granola, fresh orange juice, and eggs scrambled with tomato or fried with Greek sausage.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
-
The shooters continued blasting away as the workers scrambled for cover, sources said.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Stop one goal snowballing into two After conceding, Chelsea have looked extremely vulnerable and their habit of shipping goals in quick succession is what has seen so many games rapidly move out of reach.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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The survey looked at Lyles, Mayor Pro Tem James Mitchell, at-large City Council member Dimple Ajmera, District 1 City Council member Dante Anderson and District 2 City Council member Malcolm Graham.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2026
Verb
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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
-
At another point, a ranger waded through the mud of a mangrove forest and clambered into a mangrove to catch a bird for a blood sample, before doing the same trek in reverse to put it back.—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano,
Mercury News,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrabbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabbled. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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