1
as in climbing
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 fumbling
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 scrabbling
In the new South, one scrabbling to industrialize, business owners could now hire unpaid labor through the penal system.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
That left the administration scrabbling for other ways to reimpose duties that were struck down.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2026
Next went Marshall Allen, hands on his sax like feral scrabbling mice.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
This left the ruling Labour Party scrabbling.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2025
He’s blessed with a tense, scrabbling physicality on screen, plus a baby-Brando glower beneath a head of striking blond curls, and Nemes directs him into a stance of braced, vulnerable defensiveness that serves the film’s purposes well — even if his character, too, wants for interior light.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
The young Canadian couple are recent transplants to the French capital, having logged a decade as content creators, performance artists and DJs fond of zombie makeup and body dysphoria, slowly scrabbling their way onto the international fashion scene.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
That left the administration scrabbling for other ways to reimpose duties that were struck down.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2026
Next went Marshall Allen, hands on his sax like feral scrabbling mice.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
This left the ruling Labour Party scrabbling.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2025
He’s blessed with a tense, scrabbling physicality on screen, plus a baby-Brando glower beneath a head of striking blond curls, and Nemes directs him into a stance of braced, vulnerable defensiveness that serves the film’s purposes well — even if his character, too, wants for interior light.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
The young Canadian couple are recent transplants to the French capital, having logged a decade as content creators, performance artists and DJs fond of zombie makeup and body dysphoria, slowly scrabbling their way onto the international fashion scene.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrabbling
Verb
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Just ask Panthers guard Robert Hunt, who has stories about Eagles fans climbing onto opposing team buses and wreaking havoc.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
15 May 2026
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However, the young Italian appeared to go over his limit by attempting to match Vingegaard, quickly becoming gapped after just a kilometre of climbing together.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Santillan appears to be fumbling away his opportunity, allowing nine runs (eight earned) over his last five appearances.—
Mike Barner,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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But Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace hit three-pointers while Smart was fumbling the ball and James and Hachimura were missing shots, while an Oklahoma City 8-0 run eventually gave them another 13-point lead that was never again challenged.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Finance teams are recalculating margins, and product leaders are scrambling to explain budget overruns that no one forecasted.—
Alberto Gimeno,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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And new compounds are popping up with staggering speed, leaving law enforcement scrambling to keep up.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Qassem and Hanan drove from one hospital to another, trying to find Malak, while Ali stayed behind and kept looking for Zahra.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
-
Sheriff’s homicide investigators are looking into the case.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2026
Verb
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Dante and Virgil escape Hell by clambering down Satan's monstrous hide and through Earth's center of gravity.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
11 May 2026
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Witness Foligno clambering over Jake Oettinger as the puck rolled up the goalie’s spine and into the net.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Cloud cover originally prevented rescuers from reaching him, in addition to wind and snow as the elevation climbed to 4,100 feet.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
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Hey Jim, thanks for reaching back out and thanks for the clarification.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrabbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabbling. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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