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
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Recent Examples of scrums
The heat turned up in the second, with a few post-whistle scrums, then a full-on fight between Wild defenseman Jake Middleton and Knights winger Keegan Kolesar that earned each of them a five-minute timeout.
—
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 7 Mar. 2026
Are some teams better than others at four-on-four, and if so, doesn’t this give those teams an incentive to try to instigate the scrums and post-whistle confrontations that most coincidental minors come from?
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Not just tall, the physical trio of defensive midfielder Tverskov (6-1,183 pounds), defender Chris McVey (6-3 ½ , 181 pounds) and forward Marcus Ingvartsen (6-1 ½, 168 pounds) can thrive in scrums.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Despite that, Concepcion always embraced his time in media scrums, shook everyone's hand before and after and showed confidence while doing so.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
And while this particular standoff has been unusually drawn out, the sticking points wouldn’t be unfamiliar to anyone who’s participated in one of the hundreds of similar scrums that have taken place since the dawn of the cable bundle.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 14 Nov. 2025
The incident sparked multiple scrums across the ice.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 Nov. 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
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 7 Mar. 2026
Are some teams better than others at four-on-four, and if so, doesn’t this give those teams an incentive to try to instigate the scrums and post-whistle confrontations that most coincidental minors come from?
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Not just tall, the physical trio of defensive midfielder Tverskov (6-1,183 pounds), defender Chris McVey (6-3 ½ , 181 pounds) and forward Marcus Ingvartsen (6-1 ½, 168 pounds) can thrive in scrums.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Despite that, Concepcion always embraced his time in media scrums, shook everyone's hand before and after and showed confidence while doing so.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
And while this particular standoff has been unusually drawn out, the sticking points wouldn’t be unfamiliar to anyone who’s participated in one of the hundreds of similar scrums that have taken place since the dawn of the cable bundle.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 14 Nov. 2025
The incident sparked multiple scrums across the ice.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 Nov. 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
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There is no sign of grief inside, however, where throngs of people enjoy cocktails, Dungeness crab and plates of herby butter beans.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The film shows places of uncommon beauty, along with the throngs of visitors who clamber to see them and, crucially, preserve their experiences in photos.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The two also got into multiple skirmishes back in December during a recent Lakers-Suns game, including James knocking down Brooks after some contact from the NBA's all-time leading scorer.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Enrigue’s novel is inspired by the long-running Apache Wars of the 19th century, a series of brutal skirmishes between various Apache bands and the armies of the United States and Mexico.—
Carolina A. Miranda,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
October marks the start of butterfly season, with vibrant swarms fluttering well into the green season.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Mar. 2026
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In the cat-and-mouse game of drone warfare, the Ukrainians have also built up a layered defense against the Shahed and its variants – and claim to have seen significant success in countering Russian drone swarms.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The train, which was originally slated to open in 2023, has faced significant delays caused by clashes between the airport and contractor, LAX Integrated Express Solutions, over timeline, compensation and production.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were arrested in connection with the device at Saturday’s chaotic rally, which saw clashes between Lang and counterprotesters outside the Upper East Side mayoral residence of Mayor Mamdani.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Vampires dominated the screen in the 2010s, as gritty zombie hordes had the decade before that.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
6 Mar. 2026
-
And with the release of Live at the Palace, there’s a clear part of Fleming that hopes to show other comedians a way to live with the reactions of online hordes, without letting the fear of them change their work.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Some injuries stemmed from fights between detainees, including a man who said he had been kicked in the ear and battered in his ribs.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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Some injuries stemmed from fights between detainees, including a man who said he had been kicked in the ear and battered in his ribs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The stark reality Stark toured with circuses until the late 1940s, when she was hired by Jungleland, a zoo located outside of Los Angeles.—
Alessandro Meregaglia,
The Conversation,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The idea of a 10% rate cap has all the seriousness of bread-and-circuses governance.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The virus was confirmed in two backyard flocks located in New London County and New Haven County, according to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
-
There have been four detections of bird flu in poultry flocks in Wisconsin so far in 2026, according to the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrums. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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