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
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
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
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
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
-
There were reckless acts such as climbing on moving and parked vehicles and vandalism like trashing a yellow cab.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
12 June 2026
-
Travel costs keep climbing in 2026, and a wellness retreat at home is becoming the smarter way to reset without spending thousands on flights and resort stays.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Trump said, fumbling for words.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
-
But then again, neither is the Bears fumbling and bumbling.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Four Kenyan commercial banks — Credit Bank, Consolidated Bank, Development Bank of Kenya, and Access Bank Kenya — are actively scrambling to plug severe capital shortfalls after missing the Central Bank of Kenya’s strict minimum core capital deadline.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
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Once completed, more normal flows through the strait could be reestablished, allowing empty ships to start reentering the water to fill up and start taking long-sought-after oil to buyers who are scrambling for crude.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Hiking Hverdalir requires hundreds of steps, but a buggy ride on one of the property’s ATVs may be a better bet for those looking for something a little less impactful.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 June 2026
-
Blue went home the day after surgery, already looking more comfortable.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Not robots clambering over rigs.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
And all this after clambering up through the Championship play-offs last season.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
Verb
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That trove of information provided a glimpse across thousands of miles between New England and the Caribbean and at depths reaching about 6,500 feet deep.—
Jenny Staletovich,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2026
-
Since then, construction employment has gained ground, reaching 65,200 in April, a 44% increase from 2010, according to the Connecticut Labor Department, but still a slow slog over more than 15 years.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrabbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabbling. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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