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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
That frustration rings especially true in Colorado, where insurance premiums have been climbing thanks to escalating wildfire and weather risks, a concern the Hippo report identifies as a major pressure point across the Mountain region.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
9 May 2026
-
Texas drivers are seeing another jump at the pump, with gas prices climbing above $4 a gallon statewide for the first time in nearly four years.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The result leaves nearly every performer fumbling for traction in Serkis and Stoller’s muddy-yet-gutless cinematic sty.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Some turn to residential treatment programs, but the largely unregulated industry that can sometimes led to abuse or further harm, or leave families scrambling for care even after spending thousands of dollars.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
Investment banks are scrambling to raise targets for South Korea's benchmark index as a blistering artificial-intelligence rally powered by semiconductor giants shows little sign of slowing, with JPMorgan now projecting the Kospi could climb another 25% or more.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The woman who died, Smith-Gray, was a high school senior looking forward to walking the stage at graduation, her family said on a fundraising page for her funeral expenses.—
Hannah Schoenbaum,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
If the Knicks are looking for a regular-season template that travels into Friday, that’s one of the best places to start.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
People were clambering for a photo.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Santa Margarita’s boys medley relay featured Sam Zhou, Taylor Thongintra and Darren Nguyen before reaching Korner.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
-
Furthermore, the Chinese company behind the system has already begun moving toward commercialization, with its earlier Hanyuan-1 model reaching an important milestone in November last year after winning its first contracts from customers in both China and overseas markets.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrabbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabbling. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
