Synonyms of scrum

scrum

noun

ˈskrəm 

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

• throng
• crowd
• swarm
• flock
• horde
• mob
• army
• multitude
• press
• mass
• legion
• herd
• rout
• bike
• crush
• drove
• masses
• host
• cram
• rabble
• millions
• gaggle
• pile
• mountain
• heap
• rabblement
• jam
• riffraff
• logjam

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

• skirmish
• clash
• battle
• fight
• scuffle
• scrimmage
• tussle
• struggle
• brawl
• fray
• dustup
• fracas
• contest
• altercation
• conflict
• combat
• confrontation
• duel
• melee
• scrap
• quarrel
• rough-and-tumble
• spat
• fisticuffs
• fistfight
• dispute
• battle royal
• slugfest
• hassle
• pitched battle
• tangle
• row
• punch-up
• face-off
• blows
• free-for-all
• ruckus
• ruction
• joust
• donnybrook
• mix-up
• contretemps
• affray
• squabble
• tiff
• controversy
• punch-out
• grapple
• broil
• wrangle
• cross fire
• catfight
• kickup
• argy-bargy
• falling-out
• misunderstanding
• argument
• disagreement
• argle-bargle
• handgrips

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• truce

3

as in bedlam

British a place of uproar or confusion

London's tube is quite a scrum during rush hour

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bedlam
• madhouse
• circus
• babel
• three-ring circus
• mess
• commotion
• racket
• pandemonium
• bustle
• ruckus
• din
• chaos
• turmoil
• noise
• brouhaha
• tumult
• clatter
• clamor
• disarray
• disorder
• hubbub
• shambles
• muss
• confusion
• disarrangement
• havoc
• hell

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• organization
• heaven
• utopia
• paradise
• order
• orderliness
• lull
• peace
• calm
• silence
• arcadia
• respite
• quiet
• stillness
• hush

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of scrum

The eventual winners — Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton — only emerged from a large scrum of candidates in the final months of the campaign. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026

Corlys and Lohar find each other in the scrum and both land powerful blows before Corlys is thrown into the sea, leaving Alyn of Hull to finish off his father’s enemy. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 June 2026

The media scrums around each player reflected their importance, with constant jostling for the right positioning of microphones and cameras. — Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 22 June 2026

But only one of them could play at scrum-half. — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 21 June 2026