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
Much like last year, Xaverian managed to put the pressure on late, earning two five-meter scrums which the Eagles defense narrowly held off.
—
Marcello Rossetti, Boston Herald, 14 June 2025
Overnight a crowd of desperate people broke into a warehouse in the strip looking for food, with two people killed and many injured in the scrum.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 May 2025
The scrum started after Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson collided with a Commanders defender who was blocking for his quarterback Drake Maye, leading the players on the field to join in on the scuffle.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Texas lawmakers' work to draw new congressional boundaries to advantage Republicans has ignited a national scrum over redistricting.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrum
Marcello Rossetti, Boston Herald, 14 June 2025
Overnight a crowd of desperate people broke into a warehouse in the strip looking for food, with two people killed and many injured in the scrum.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 May 2025
The scrum started after Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson collided with a Commanders defender who was blocking for his quarterback Drake Maye, leading the players on the field to join in on the scuffle.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Texas lawmakers' work to draw new congressional boundaries to advantage Republicans has ignited a national scrum over redistricting.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrum
Noun
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Once the throngs of travelers return home in mid-April, resorts slash rates and bare beaches abound.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Aug. 2025
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Tucked along the foothills of the northern Front Range lies a triangle of towns—Loveland, Fort Collins, and Estes Park—that deliver classic Colorado charm, access to epic outdoor adventure, and vibrant local flavor without the throngs of peak-season crowds.—
Karthika Gupta,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
Noun
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The only skirmish Wednesday was sparked by some trash-talking between Chuba Hubbard and Jenkins — yes, same Jenkins — and peaked when Jenkins threw a football at Hubbard’s helmet.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Aug. 2025
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Attorney: Separate skirmishes, no 'racist mob' Fox told The Enquirer that national and local voices have mischaracterized what actually happened.—
Kevin Grasha,
The Enquirer,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
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And so a day that started in the relative oasis of a picturesque tennis court ends with the bedlam of a city gearing up for the mother of all parties.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
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So many of us have spent these last few months running and thither from bad news to more bad news, from chaos to bedlam, from disbelief to shock.—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2025
Noun
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The fiery right-hander tied a season-high with 10 strikeouts over six strong inning after giving up a leadoff homer, Manny Machado ended a 14-game RBI drought and the Padres beat the Giants 5-1 in front of a sellout crowd of 40,624 to snap a four-game skid.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Aug. 2025
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The double-header, different gender matches create some momentum for a home atmosphere and that has converted into record-breaking crowds of up to 15,000.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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However, those same clashes can be transformed into deeper connections with a little effort and understanding.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
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When it has been used, the stealth fighter has generally remained far away from frontline clashes, intelligence reports from the British government indicated in early 2023.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The madhouse of awards season and all its many, many controversies — not to mention an ongoing parade of natural and man-made disasters — has until now perhaps overshadowed some of the year’s lower-stakes joys.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2025
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But things move fast in the Goodison madhouse.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
The Athletic,
9 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Some Republicans argue that Cleaver’s district, despite swarms of Democratic voters, would be easier to carve into Republican districts than the 1st District in St. Louis.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
13 Aug. 2025
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Short of air defense systems, Ukraine has prioritized the development and production of interceptor drones to counter these swarms.—
ERIC SCHMIDT,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking a judge to jail Beto O'Rourke, claiming the former Democratic congressman violated a court order by fundraising to support the dozens of state Democratic lawmakers who have fled the state amid its redistricting battle.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
12 Aug. 2025
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The Defense Department has awarded BAE Systems’ shipyard in San Diego a $64.1 million contract for repairs, maintenance and upgrades on the USS O’Kane, a Burke-class destroyer that helped protect the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier battle group during a long deployment that ended in February.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrum. Accessed 24 Aug. 2025.
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