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
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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
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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 event drew such a large crowd on Sunday that several Surf City residents complained on social media about a lack of security and noise control, as throngs of attendees poured onto the streets and blocked traffic.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Among the throngs of fans who line up for Angel Reese’s or Caitlin Clark’s autograph after games are boys wearing their jerseys.—
Ben Pickman,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Activists literally or figuratively flying the antifa flag have long been among the subset of people who go to protests to destroy property and get into violent skirmishes with far-right protestors (like the Proud Boys).—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Law enforcement officers have deployed tear gas and pepper balls in skirmishes with protesters.—
Natasha Korecki,
NBC news,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The result is a mobile, autonomous counter-drone system that can defeat swarms of unmanned aircraft with precision and minimal collateral damage.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Russia is suspected to be behind a series of drone swarms that surveyed and even disrupted critical infrastructure in Denmark and elsewhere, though investigations are ongoing.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Since the recent clashes broke out, at least three dozen civilians have been killed and hundreds wounded in Afghanistan, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said Thursday.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on Sunday after a week of border clashes that killed dozens.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
With sunflower sea stars suddenly all but gone from their home range, sea urchin numbers exploded, and the hungry urchin hordes descended upon kelp forests.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Typically, by the time the first scene hits the screen, handfuls (more likely hordes) of people have had first looks including cast, crew, friends, family, media, agents, managers, publicists, etc.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The wins, almost as much as the losses, have always come in fights.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
-
In the article, Roufus criticized promoters who were focused on profits and lacked the experience to safely sponsor fights.—
Cleo Krejci,
jsonline.com,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
One of her obituaries celebrated the life of a Bureau of Reclamation photographer who transitioned from a man to a woman and built miniature circuses.—
Susan Greene,
Denver Post,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Egg prices fell a bit, fewer sick poultry flocks were culled on farms, and officials took a breath.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
9 Oct. 2025
-
The mass deployment of technologies that these minerals make possible—fleets of electric cars; flocks of wind turbines; a cleaner energy grid—may be imperative if our society is to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and thereby avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrums. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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