1
as in climbed
to move (as up or over something) often with the help of the hands in holding or pulling
we scrabbled up a sand dune to get a better view of the sea
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in fumbled
to search for something blindly or uncertainly
he frantically scrabbled through the storage chest looking for the needed documents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scrabbled
With the June 2 primary weeks away and many voters still undecided, candidates scrabbled for airtime and breakout moments during the chaotic 90-minute debate.
—
Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
The Eagles have scrabbled at multiple offensive schemes while leveraging the strength of their defense.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
The Eagles have scrabbled at multiple offensive schemes while leveraging the strength of their defense.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrabbled
Verb
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The Brazilian won the fight and climbed the Octagon fence in victory.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
-
The major indexes climbed to end a volatile week.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Before that, when the Jets could have taken the lead on their opening drive, Allen fumbled on the Dolphins’ 1-yard line.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
12 June 2026
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The Spurs had one more chance, but Stephon Castle fumbled the inbounds pass and pandemonium at Madison Square Garden followed.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
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The Greenlandic government scrambled to reassure locals, informing them that Danish and other European troops would now be a permanent fixture on the island.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
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In recent years, Idaho home prices took off and cities have scrambled to pay for services to keep up with the growth.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The Coast Guard and partner search and rescue crews looked for him by air and sea, covering around 529 square miles, the statement said.—
Sofia Saric
June 16,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
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Marsch has never looked more animated than during Millar’s game-saving block.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Cars honked their horns and cyclists pulled over to tune in as flags fluttered in the wind, fans clambered to see the screen, and people hugged and shouted.—
Anna Grace Lee,
Vogue,
17 June 2026
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Three mules ferrying bags of cement clambered past us on their own dirt track that ran shorter and even steeper up to the top.—
Erin Tan,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrabbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabbled. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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