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
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
Her left hand is scrabbling over the surface of the thin soil, grasping at dead leaves, something to wipe herself.
—Literary Hub, 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
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
Her left hand is scrabbling over the surface of the thin soil, grasping at dead leaves, something to wipe herself.
—Literary Hub, 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
-
The price tag for competing in the artificial intelligence race is rapidly climbing, fueling demand for advanced computing power and the high-end chips that are needed to support it.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Shares of Vistra and Oklo rocketed higher following the news, climbing 15% and 17%, respectively.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The image of Gobert fumbling with the ball and having his shot attempt rim out has been a lasting one.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Georgia Tech also went 3 of 6, fumbling at the BYU 11-yard line in the third quarter and having a 35-yard field goal by Aidan Birr blocked late in the quarter.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Cannon plays a Hollywood power agent scrambling to land Baldwin as the marquee name for a collapsing production.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The following days have seen airlines struggling with delays and scrambling to add additional flights in order to accommodate affected customers.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Today’s pairs are built for all conditions, designed to carry you through long days without blisters or fuss, while still looking effortless.—
Erica Paige,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
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Thousands of players are in the transfer portal looking for greener grass, either in cash, playing time or a sexier stage.—
Mac Engel Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Arkansas Online,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
The protests have grown drastically in scope over the past week, reaching a point where some analysts believe the regime may have reached a tipping point.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
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That commitment to authenticity became especially clear after his video about being cut from the G-League went viral, reaching over 270,000 views.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrabbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabbling. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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