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 addition, its luxury pricing will turn off many hobbyists and content creators who are scrabbling to make ends meet.
—
Jim Fisher,
PC Magazine,
25 June 2026
Imagine combat choreographed by ants, swarms of elbows and legs scrabbling to emerge victorious.
—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
The actress and producer has had great success in recent years, turning her talents to working behind the scenes of comedies about young people scrabbling their way through life.
—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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
Jim Fisher,
PC Magazine,
25 June 2026
Imagine combat choreographed by ants, swarms of elbows and legs scrabbling to emerge victorious.
—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
The actress and producer has had great success in recent years, turning her talents to working behind the scenes of comedies about young people scrabbling their way through life.
—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrabbling
Verb
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Cecelia Kale was climbing a tree in her front yard in Tigerton on June 23 when a bat latched onto her leg, according to her family.
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Cooling your feet brings down overall body temperature, so chill a pair of socks in the fridge during the day and slip them on before climbing into bed.
Verb
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My first few hours with the EM11 NL were marked by overshooting links, fumbling through simple selections, and occasionally wondering why anyone would voluntarily use a vertical mouse.
-
Bennett is concerned, for instance, that Hong could win her primary and then be defeated in November by Republican Tom Tiffany, fumbling the governorship of a swing state into the hands of a far-right Freedom Caucus member who dabbled in 2020 election conspiracy theories.
Verb
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Footage of civilians scrambling for cover or compressing bullet wounds typically arrives here from overseas.
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That’s leaving the emerging space economy scrambling to secure launches that are in short supply.
Verb
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Along with the main shades in the lineup, there are seven color-correcting options that neutralize, brighten, and leave skin looking more refined.
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After the revolution, explained Miller, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton wasn't liking how the country's coffers were looking.
Verb
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Not robots clambering over rigs.
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And all this after clambering up through the Championship play-offs last season.
Verb
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On June 28, Venezuelan officials said the death toll rose by 20, reaching about 1,450 people killed in the earthquakes.
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But Marsch’s plucky team responded by winning this tournament’s first round of 32 match and reaching the round of 16 for the first time in its three trips to the World Cup.
Cite this Entry
“Scrabbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabbling. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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