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
Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2024
In one of the first scenes, Roz learns to scrabble up a cliff by copying the movements of a fiddler crab (which is immediately swiped by a seagull).
—Elvia Wilk, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024
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
Democrats are likely to dedicate their 215 votes to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), leaving Johnson to scrabble for an overreaching three votes to secure the support of the 218 members required to win the position, assuming every representative is present.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2024
In one of the first scenes, Roz learns to scrabble up a cliff by copying the movements of a fiddler crab (which is immediately swiped by a seagull).
—Elvia Wilk, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for scrabble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrabble
Noun
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Barry Keoghan is sharing something deeply personal about his struggle with sobriety.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
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But that progress on paper does not mean the struggle is over.—
Danaya Wilson,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Verb
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One Saturday afternoon in March, two dozen tourists representing a near-complete range of the human life span climbed aboard a trolley at Green-Wood and submitted to the effervescence of Marge Raymond, a seasoned singer with a blond updo and sunglasses the size of T-bones.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
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Along the length of the U.S.-Mexico border, migrant deaths climbed five years running through fiscal 2022, the last period for which data is publicly available.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
Massey ranged to his left, lost his footing and fumbled the ball.—
Evan Webeck,
Mercury News,
20 May 2025
-
Gutierrez found the jury was confused by antitrust law elements and fumbled a calculation for damages by mistaking an overcharge with a discount.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 May 2025
Noun
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Fires and recovery Crews battle fire burning in Pala, evacuations underway in northern San Diego County.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
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Recently, a German court quietly ended a landmark legal battle that had spanned nearly a decade.—
Monica Sanders,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
Verb
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The Armed Forces Operational Command in Poland -- a NATO nation that borders Ukraine to the west -- said in a Sunday morning post to X that its fighter jets were scrambled during the Russian attack.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
25 May 2025
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The Pacific Beach bar and restaurant offers a variety of food and beverage items, including a breakfast burrito with chorizo, potatoes, poblanos, roasted corn, queso fresco, cheddar cheese, scrambled eggs and cilantro in a spinach tortilla.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 May 2025
Verb
-
Hill is on a Hall of Fame trajectory, and looked first ballot-worthy until last season, when his antics, side babies, lawsuits and now a divorce finally overshadowed underwhelming play.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2025
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Meanwhile, Lilo & Stitch is looking at a second frame of $60M, off 59%, which is in the vicinity of previous Disney Memorial Day live-action takes of classic toons Aladdin (-53%) and Little Mermaid (57%).—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
28 May 2025
Noun
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Without a leader and facing a fight over its budget, NASA faces an uncertain future, both in the months ahead and longer term.—
Wendy Whitman Cobb,
The Conversation,
3 June 2025
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Police responded to Catawba Valley Boulevard early in the morning on April 6, where shots had been fired into a crowd during a fight.—
Jeff A. Chamer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2025
Verb
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At the end of the evening, guests can clamber up the ladder to the lofted sleeping area for a tranquil night of sleep, listening to the waves ebb and flow.—
Kimberley Mok,
Travel + Leisure,
26 May 2025
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As a helicopter circled overhead, a man wearing a leather jacket clambered up a light pole, his feet perched on a street sign.—
Matthew Ormseth,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabble. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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