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
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
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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Rarely is picnicking so decadent or – after climbing the equivalent of 100 floors or more – so gratefully received.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Feb. 2026
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Meanwhile, stocks with less exposure to AI are climbing higher.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When the first part of season four ends with Benedict fumbling through a disastrous proposal that Sophie become his mistress, Ha does not crumple or explode in fury.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
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Gibson rushed for 1,000 yards in his second season, then suffered from fumbling issues over his final years with the Commanders.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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According to the National Parks Traveler, the NPS is scrambling to ensure Lake Powell has enough water for the millions of boaters, paddlers, and swimmers who flock to the site each year.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
2 Mar. 2026
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The shooting happened outside the event itself, but videos shared on social media still showed attendees scrambling for cover.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In Boston now, that means looking at the huge mountains of dirty snow and Wu’s smiling proclamation that snow is fun and accepting both beliefs.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
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If the answer isn’t clear and straightforward, keep looking.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The piece is a collection of disused shoemaker boxes, once used by cobblers to keep tools, pressed against each other and stacked up, clambering toward the ceiling.—
Edna Bonhomme,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
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By the end of the night, so many fans had crowd-surfed from the pit to the stage, clambering onto the platform, that the band members were barely visible.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After decades of apathy--which has pushed the nation to a fiscal precipice--some officials are now reaching across the aisle to propose solutions.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Mar. 2026
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The month will start on the chilly side, but temperatures are poised to surge by the middle of next week, with highs reaching at least the 70s on several days.—
Jason Samenow,
Washington Post,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrabbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabbling. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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