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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of scrum
Following his victory at All Out 2022, Punk's post-match media scrum became a flashpoint.
—
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
However, late in the first period Sunday, Bedard seized the puck after a faceoff scrum and sniped a shot from the slot with 1 minute, 48 seconds left.
—Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2025
The dung heap is being dismantled by a scrum of hermit crabs.
—Kevin Gepford, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
The bus would then dump its passengers at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, where a fresh scrum of Eighth Avenue muggers and drug addicts was lying in wait.
—Frank Rich, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrum
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
However, late in the first period Sunday, Bedard seized the puck after a faceoff scrum and sniped a shot from the slot with 1 minute, 48 seconds left.
—Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2025
The dung heap is being dismantled by a scrum of hermit crabs.
—Kevin Gepford, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
The bus would then dump its passengers at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, where a fresh scrum of Eighth Avenue muggers and drug addicts was lying in wait.
—Frank Rich, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrum
Noun
-
Like his previous court appearances, throngs of fans showed up to support Mangione outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan, many waiting in line to secure a spot for viewing the proceedings.—
Ben Brachfeld,
People.com,
25 Apr. 2025
-
After each vote, the ballots are burned and smoke is released from the Sistine Chapel's chimney as a signal to the throngs holding vigil in St. Peter's Square.—
Phoebe Natanson,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But the pause comes amid a backdrop of daily skirmishes, largely by drone warfare.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
-
Not about the economic turmoil from tariffs, any one of the skirmishes playing out abroad, or a surprise shake-up in his White House staff.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
When war comes to their village, the principal is paralyzed saving a displaced child, while the thug takes advantage of the bedlam to gain influence, assisting villagers by providing goods through smuggling and standing up militias to protect their homes.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Beer cups flew throughout SoFi Stadium as Jiménez stood tall at the penalty spot admiring the bedlam.—
Felipe Cardenas,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Maybe the Birmingham crowd was just really living in the moment, because there aren’t too many videos of the screen during this stop’s Apple dance.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
3 May 2025
-
Image Another photo that appeared inside depicted a large crowd gathered around the smoldering debris.—
John Otis,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Noun
-
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan’s arrest and ensuing indictment has escalated a clash between President Donald Trump’s administration and local authorities over the Republican’s sweeping immigration crackdown.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
-
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan’s arrest and ensuing indictment has escalated a clash between President Trump’s administration and local authorities over the Republican’s sweeping immigration crackdown.—
Todd Richmond,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
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
-
But things move fast in the Goodison madhouse.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
The Athletic,
9 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Standardized, recoverable platforms simplify coordination since the swarm could be comprised of one drone type, with different drones carrying different payloads.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
-
In the 1840s, Maryland physician Gideon Smith took a shine to cicada tracking and began crowd-sourcing sightings, writing to newspapers and asking locals to contact him with reports of the emergence of new cicada swarms.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
This, after an epic indoor fireworks battle — among other shenanigans — had the place looking like a warzone in videos.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2025
-
In the Trump-Europe trade wars, the battle so far has been focused on goods: Trump’s tariffs on German cars and French champagne have been met with tit-for-tat threats to boost levies on all-American booze and motor vehicles, from Kentucky bourbon to Harley Davidson motorcycles.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrum. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share