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
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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
Emotions boiled over in the third period, with a raucous scrum by the benches, which featured Jamie Benn tackling Scheifele to the ice at one point.
—
Murat Ates, New York Times, 16 May 2025
The Packers have been among several teams voicing their distaste for the evolution of the traditional quarterback sneak into an all-out scrum.
—Dave Campbell, Twin Cities, 23 May 2025
Hundreds of players from neighboring hamlets would separate into two teams, lock themselves into an enormous scrum and struggle blindly for control of a circular object, often an inflated pig’s bladder.
—Franz Lidz, New York Times, 21 May 2025
At a glance, the Preakness seems to be that somewhat less daunting contest relative to the Kentucky Derby’s larger-than-life rugby scrum and to the Belmont Stakes’ flat racing approximation of marathon.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrum
Murat Ates, New York Times, 16 May 2025
The Packers have been among several teams voicing their distaste for the evolution of the traditional quarterback sneak into an all-out scrum.
—Dave Campbell, Twin Cities, 23 May 2025
Hundreds of players from neighboring hamlets would separate into two teams, lock themselves into an enormous scrum and struggle blindly for control of a circular object, often an inflated pig’s bladder.
—Franz Lidz, New York Times, 21 May 2025
At a glance, the Preakness seems to be that somewhat less daunting contest relative to the Kentucky Derby’s larger-than-life rugby scrum and to the Belmont Stakes’ flat racing approximation of marathon.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrum
Noun
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As part of the celebration, someone blew bubbles amid the throng of Pointers.—
San Diego Union-Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 June 2025
-
On Tuesday, a massive throng of Palestinians overran the first GHF aid site in southern Gaza, tearing down some of the fencing and climbing over crowd control barriers.—
Mohammad Al Sawalhi,
CNN Money,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Nuñez warned that more skirmishes could occur on Sunday as PSG will parade on the Champs-Élysées before celebrating the title with their fans at the Parc des Princes stadium.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
1 June 2025
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Thailand and Cambodia have a long history of land disputes, though Thailand said after the short skirmish that the situation had been resolved.—
DAVID RISING,
Arkansas Online,
31 May 2025
Noun
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What ensued was pure bedlam at Ball Arena, the crowd going ballistic as the captain scored his first goal since June 20, 2022, in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final versus Tampa Bay.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
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These ascendants met for back-to-back bedlam in March Madness.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
Noun
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Trump’s rallies, inflammatory language, thin skin toward criticism, obsession with crowd size and media coverage — Çifci suggests these to be symptoms of a personality driven by defensive grandiosity.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
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American and Israeli colors lined the streets of Aventura, where a crowd of more than 500 people embarked Sunday on a three-mile march — escorted by police — to raise awareness for rising antisemitism at home and abroad.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2025
Noun
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Boys lacrosse In a wild Div. 4 round of 16 clash, host Littleton received a goal from Zach Milner with five seconds remaining to list the Tigers to a thrilling 13-12 victory over host Lynnfield.—
Brian Roach,
Boston Herald,
6 June 2025
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This clash has had tangible repercussions: Tesla’s stock experienced a significant drop, erasing over $150 billion in market value, while Trump Media saw a decline of approximately $500 million.—
Brent Gleeson,
Forbes.com,
6 June 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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Joseph Quinn’s Hellfire Club captain Eddie, a new fan favorite, sadly perished after being attacked by a swarm of Demobats in Episode 9.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
2 June 2025
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These swarms are faster, more adaptive, and more resilient.—
Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
Noun
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Fires and recovery Crews battle fire burning in Pala, evacuations underway in northern San Diego County.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
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Recently, a German court quietly ended a landmark legal battle that had spanned nearly a decade.—
Monica Sanders,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrum. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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