1
as in scrawling
to write or draw hastily or carelessly
she scribbled a quick note on the pad by the door before leaving
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in writing
to compose and set down on paper the words of
he scribbled a quick note to his wife and taped it to the front door
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scribbling
One story of the Desert Fathers recounts a sighting of a demon perched on the top of the monastery, busily scribbling down all the faults of the brothers within.
—
JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
Simon managed to keep scribbling on his yellow legal pad but his handwriting, illegible on a good day, quickly deteriorated into nothing more than chicken scratch.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
People drift between venues, carrying tote bags, scribbling in notebooks, waiting in line for coffee or drinks.
—Javier Garcia Del Moral
september 26, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
Morelo recounted hateful reactions to his art, including people smudging out and scribbling over his spots.
—Max Bacall , Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025
No scribbling down notes in the margins of the character sheet or pausing game play to flip through the spell list again.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The Better Business Bureau is telling parents to avoid scribbling out too many personal details about their children, such as their name, age, school, teacher and grade level, on those chalkboards.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
The people who've had their eyes trained on central banks all over the world, for years, notebooks out, scribbling down their observations.
—Erika Beras, NPR, 6 Sep. 2025
The attacker left behind a lengthy suicide note, journal entries and scribbling on the weapons used in the ambush at the Church of the Annunciation, which is affiliated with an adjacent Catholic school.
—Ernesto Londoño, Twin Cities, 1 Sep. 2025
JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
Simon managed to keep scribbling on his yellow legal pad but his handwriting, illegible on a good day, quickly deteriorated into nothing more than chicken scratch.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
People drift between venues, carrying tote bags, scribbling in notebooks, waiting in line for coffee or drinks.
—Javier Garcia Del Moral
september 26, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
Morelo recounted hateful reactions to his art, including people smudging out and scribbling over his spots.
—Max Bacall , Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025
No scribbling down notes in the margins of the character sheet or pausing game play to flip through the spell list again.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The Better Business Bureau is telling parents to avoid scribbling out too many personal details about their children, such as their name, age, school, teacher and grade level, on those chalkboards.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
The people who've had their eyes trained on central banks all over the world, for years, notebooks out, scribbling down their observations.
—Erika Beras, NPR, 6 Sep. 2025
The attacker left behind a lengthy suicide note, journal entries and scribbling on the weapons used in the ambush at the Church of the Annunciation, which is affiliated with an adjacent Catholic school.
—Ernesto Londoño, Twin Cities, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scribbling
Verb
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Chalamet invites his Instagram followers to meet him at Regal Times Square to watch the first 30 minutes of Marty Supreme by scrawling the message on his Instagram Story in orange.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Born to a long line of musicians and entertainers (their great-grandparents were vaudevillians), Gunnar and Matt started writing music at age 6, shooting to fame in their own right after launching hard rock duo Nelson in the early 1980s.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Billy Bob Thornton and Ariana Greenblatt are set to star in Somedays, a feature film that Brian Klugman is writing and directing.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The best vacuums for hardwood floors have a powerful cleaning performance without scratching or causing damage.—
Terri Williams,
Architectural Digest,
6 Jan. 2026
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That pollen can fill the air, covers cars and cement, and can start noses running, eyes watering and throats scratching.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scribbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scribbling. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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