1
as in throngs
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 skirmishes
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 madhouses
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 scrums
Bedard even found himself in the middle of a couple of scrums, at one point earning an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty for apparently flipping a puck at Alexandre Carrier’s, uh, midsection.
—
Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Capitol hallways have become an endless series of partisan scrums and press conferences where the two sides play the blame game, occasionally to each others’ faces on camera in impromptu scuffles.
—Steven T. Dennis, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Capitol hallways have become an endless series of partisan scrums and press conferences where the two sides play the blame game, occasionally to each others’ faces on camera in impromptu scuffles.
—Steven T. Dennis, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrums
Noun
-
The outing—which, according to local reports, appeared to be equal parts publicity stunt, cultural gesture, and celebration of potential new AI partnerships—drew throngs of spectators with flashing cameras, and sent South Korean fried-chicken stocks soaring.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
-
To avoid the throngs of high-season tourists, consider visiting the Italian town from March to May or September to November, during its shoulder seasons.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
David Wolf, the executive director of the Legacy of the Plains Museum in Scottsbluff, said experts estimate that as many 10 people died for every mile of the trail ‒ perhaps as many as 20,000 travelers, plus an unknown number of Native Americans killed during skirmishes.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Amid the skirmishes that ensued, federal agents fired a chemical agent toward a protester at near-point-blank range, and security personnel later opened fire on a U-Haul truck that had backed up toward a barrier on the island’s bridge, injuring the driver and an apparent bystander.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The exercise also featured swarms of first-person-view (FPV) suicide drones launching precision strikes against mock enemy fortifications.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Twenty-two earthquakes were recorded in the Kamchatka region within a single day in early November 2025, demonstrating the potential for earthquake swarms in highly active zones.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
On Friday, clashes between protesters and immigration agents erupted near a middle school in Evanston, a suburb north of Chicago.—
NPR,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Early on, federal agents guarding the building deployed tear gas and shot pepper balls in clashes with protesters and arrested some of them, including some charged with felonies on suspicion of assaulting or blocking officers.—
Nicquel Terry Ellis,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Back in 1961, residents of Capitola woke up to find that hordes of black seabirds were slamming into cars, windows and people's homes and dying.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The birds have survived in hordes in the deserts, but civilization nearly always spells their doom.—
Jack O'Connor,
Outdoor Life,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Historical police data shows arguments or fights escalating was a factor in about 29% of all homicides in the city since 2020.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
However, leaking information about fights, movements, and filming activity happens all the time.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The city bans most wild species altogether, except in places like zoos, circuses, or educational facilities.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Advertisement And yet, at the turn of the 20th century, family-friendly circuses couldn’t compete with new movie houses and the spectacle of the feature film.—
Time,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Sennott never steps outside the frame to ask what kind of person flocks to the influencer sphere and why, or whether any meaning can be found in such apparently soulless work.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
-
There have been 24 detections of bird flu at poultry farms across the nation, resulting in the culling of entire flocks to prevent the spread, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrums. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share