1
as in throng
a great number of persons or creatures massed together
I had to fight my way through the scrum of holiday shoppers at the mall
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
when the server spilled a drink on a customer, they got into a bit of a scrum before being separated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bedlam
British
a place of uproar or confusion
London's tube is quite a scrum during rush hour
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scrum
As soon as the horse broke there was an immediate scrum of equine flesh.
—
Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Rebounding was a recurring problem, leading to chaotic scrums in front of the net.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
No awkward scrums with the media grilling him about a slump Saturday morning ahead of Game 3 of this second-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 9 May 2026
Raman was the only candidate to participate in the post-debate media scrum, speaking extensively with reporters after Bass and Pratt departed shortly after the event.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scrum
Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Rebounding was a recurring problem, leading to chaotic scrums in front of the net.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
No awkward scrums with the media grilling him about a slump Saturday morning ahead of Game 3 of this second-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 9 May 2026
Raman was the only candidate to participate in the post-debate media scrum, speaking extensively with reporters after Bass and Pratt departed shortly after the event.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrum
Noun
-
In preparation for a throng of World Cup fans, Romo set up a separate event space two blocks away from their restaurant and centered on their food truck, which Romo assumed would serve fans walking along the boulevard, perhaps to and from the Fan Festival.—
Eric Adler
June 18,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
-
Christina Hara, a member of our editorial staff, decked out in orange and blue, was among the throng.—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
While the war ended years before, the hostility spread from the stands — with skirmishes among supporters — into the field, when Maradona tricked the referee and the world with the World Cup’s most infamous goal, punching the ball into the net with his fist above England’s goalie Peter Shilton.—
Gabriel Sama,
Mercury News,
21 June 2026
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Continue reading … — Two arrested as skirmishes erupt outside courthouse after Karmelo Anthony verdict.—
,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Trump warns of ‘bedlam’ if no deal US officials have stressed that the framework is performance-based and that Iran’s new ability to sell oil could get rolled back if negotiations aren’t productive.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
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The scene isn’t just a powder keg of tension that leads to frenzied bedlam; its cynical depiction of human self-preservation is far more terrifying than any horror movie monster.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Noun
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Her extroverted big sister, on the other hand, loves being out and about, exploring new places, unruffled by noise or crowds.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
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Organizers are encouraging fans to arrive early and plan ahead, as large crowds are expected for the team's match.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
Enter Maddie’s Secret, Early’s directorial debut, which follows a chef at GourMaybe Test Kitchen whose rising place in the food-influencer world clashes with her lifelong struggle with bulimia.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2026
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Local media reported the clashes erupted because of frustrations over the delays in the migrants' returning home.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
Headphones are often my saving grace in this madhouse.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
17 Apr. 2026
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In practice, this means a madhouse of multimedia rooms, packed with gurgling videos and useless machines and humanoid bodies.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Spanish Navy has carried out a successful at-sea test of the Hornet Block 1 interceptor, a new system designed to counter the growing threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drone swarms.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
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But for now, the booby seems healthy and pretty much unbothered by the swarms of people paying it a visit — one of whom is Amy Gobbini, who briefly stopped from her nearby workplace to snag a picture on her phone.—
Sophie Lindberg,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
After several years as an orphan, Pumphrey died in a South Caroline pine forest on August 16, 1780, in what was one of the bloodiest battles of the Revolutionary War.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
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Aegon was severely injured by Aemond and Vhagar in that battle.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrum. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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