1
as in climbing
to move (as up or over something) often with the help of the hands in holding or pulling
the toddler scrambled up the stairs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in disrupting
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
scrambled the letters of the word
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scrambling
Psychologists and psychiatrists are scrambling to better understand how use of chatbots can fuel delusions and drive psychotic episodes.
—
Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The insurance and housing sectors are scrambling to try to get ahead of this ticking time bomb.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025
They are joined by an ensemble including Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Gabriel Basso, Anthony Ramos, Greta Lee, Moses Ingram, and Jason Clarke, each embodying the cabinet members, military officers, and aides scrambling to prevent total disaster.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
The war ended with a lopsided Israeli victory, and with Iran scrambling to find more ways to punish and deter Israel if hostilities resumed.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Transfer deadline day is notorious for its frenetic nature, with clubs scrambling to complete deals at the very last minute and staff and fans alike staying up until the early hours.
—Leon Imber, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2025
As bandleader-slash-sensei, Dawkins’ leadership was relaxed — at times perhaps too relaxed, his young, alert colleagues scrambling to keep up with several surprises.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Active shooter alerts at Villanova University in Pennsylvania and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sent panicked students preparing for the new school year scrambling for cover as first responders swarmed campuses on August 21.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
Coldplay has had to reschedule several upcoming concert dates in London, and fans who can no longer attend are now scrambling to sell their tickets.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The insurance and housing sectors are scrambling to try to get ahead of this ticking time bomb.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025
They are joined by an ensemble including Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Gabriel Basso, Anthony Ramos, Greta Lee, Moses Ingram, and Jason Clarke, each embodying the cabinet members, military officers, and aides scrambling to prevent total disaster.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
The war ended with a lopsided Israeli victory, and with Iran scrambling to find more ways to punish and deter Israel if hostilities resumed.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Transfer deadline day is notorious for its frenetic nature, with clubs scrambling to complete deals at the very last minute and staff and fans alike staying up until the early hours.
—Leon Imber, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2025
As bandleader-slash-sensei, Dawkins’ leadership was relaxed — at times perhaps too relaxed, his young, alert colleagues scrambling to keep up with several surprises.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Active shooter alerts at Villanova University in Pennsylvania and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sent panicked students preparing for the new school year scrambling for cover as first responders swarmed campuses on August 21.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
Coldplay has had to reschedule several upcoming concert dates in London, and fans who can no longer attend are now scrambling to sell their tickets.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrambling
Verb
-
At just 265 meters long but climbing a steep 17 percent gradient, the Glória Funicular saves passengers a challenging uphill walk in only about three minutes.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
-
This stair-climbing innovation comes courtesy of an attachment called the Marswalker, which will work with Eufy’s new flagship RoboVac Omni S2 at launch.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Analysts, however, worry if the licenses will be approved fast enough to avoid disrupting operations abroad.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Soft-spoken and unrelenting, Alboury emerges as the only moral voice in a land of postcolonial abandon, refusing to let Cal get away with what may be homicide, while disrupting Horn’s romantic first night with Leonie.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
After clambering back onto the platform, medics took him to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition with face injuries, cops said.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
10 Aug. 2025
-
On the night before the verdict, they were joined by more than a dozen journalists, clambering for the best angle of their emerging messages, pasted up on walls already crowded by other snippets of testimony and poetry.—
Catherine Porter,
New York Times,
20 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The three actors were filming a lighthearted scene, shuffling excitedly between a hot sauna and cold plunge, when Reeves’ foot caught on some flooring.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The film essentially takes place entirely within an under-20-minute timeline, showing the same events from a shuffling deck of points of view.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In such a large, complex, dangerous, and confusing world, can one person make a difference to anything?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
-
These fictional AIs tapped into our deepest worries about healthcare—long waits at the doctor's office, confusing medical information and the wish for constant health guidance.—
Sanath Chilakala,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Two players take on the roles of a brother and sister who are searching for their missing buddies on an island inhabited by some rather disturbing monsters.—
Joshua Lamb,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
In 2020, 13-year-old Lauryn Licari and her middle-school boyfriend, Owen McKenny, started getting constant graphic and disturbing messages from an unknown number out of the blue.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrambling. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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