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
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
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
-
As optimism over an extended ceasefire grew, oil prices fell early Friday after climbing a day earlier.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Air New Zealand will soon offer a solution that involves climbing into a triple-tier bunk bed wearing special socks.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With the title in their grasp, the Ducks have greased up their fingers, fumbling into a four-game winless slump.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Last season’s Detroit Tigers endured the worst divisional collapse in history, fumbling an AL Central lead that reached 15 1/2 games in July.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The helicopters successfully evaded Pakistan's layered air defenses, there was a crash immediately at UBL's compound, guys were scrambling to get inside, Khalid bin Laden got melted in the stairwell and then the SEALs got bin Laden on the third deck.—
David Hookstead OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
If the federal government enacts the Basic Coordination plan, the bureau will keep scrambling to make emergency decisions to ensure Powell and Mead are operable.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After looking at the latest data, rain forecasts for early next week have decreased.—
Michael Autovino,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The Huskies posted the job opening on Monday and will be looking for an experienced coach who is obsessed and willing to take on the demand of working for Hurley.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In November, a wildlife photographer out on a whale watching trip in waters off the city captured dramatic video and photos of a pod of killer whales hunting a seal that survived only by clambering onto the stern of her boat.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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But annual budget deficits are now at $2 trillion, rapidly piling on to the $39 trillion national debt total with interest costs alone reaching $1 trillion a year.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
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Periods of rain will continue throughout the early and mid afternoon with high temperatures only reaching the mid-50s, below average for this time of year.—
Andrew Kozak,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrabbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabbling. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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