scrabbling

verb

Definition of scrabblingnext
present participle of scrabble
1
as in climbing
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 fumbling
to search for something blindly or uncertainly he frantically scrabbled through the storage chest looking for the needed documents

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrabbling
  1. climbing
  2. scrambling
  3. looking
  4. clambering
  5. reaching
Verb
  • For Barca, this fixture can serve not just as a way of climbing up the UCL league phase charts, but also boosting morale ahead of hosting Leganes in La Liga at home on Sunday.
    Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Employees are now navigating their careers through horizontal moves to gain varied experiences rather than climbing a linear ladder.
    Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of climbing
Verb
  • Taking photos and sending videos while sightseeing can quickly drain your battery, leaving you scrambling to find an outlet.
    Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 10 Dec. 2024
  • The rebel leaders look like the dog that caught the car, scrambling for a plan for what to do next.
    George Bradt, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of scrambling
Verb
  • Without proposing any comprehensive list of spending reductions or efficiencies, the city is looking to increase a growing list of taxes to fill its nearly billion-dollar budget gap, which will hurt every Chicago resident and business owner.
    Jack Lavin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Residents and businesses cannot afford for the city to continue to be a greater outlier, risk harming our ability to recruit top talent and investments and send the wrong message to growing industries looking to build or grow in Chicago.
    Jack Lavin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of looking
Verb
  • This once meant waiting in long lines outside stores like Walmart and Best Buy in the early morning hours, clambering over one another to snag electronics, beauty items, and other unaffordable gifts at a steal.
    Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Dec. 2024
  • Even now, original — meaning freshly made, conceptually new — Christmas rom-coms are clambering out of the trenches, not only on Hallmark and Lifetime, which owned the breed for a while, but on Netflix and Hulu and everywhere else seeking to grab a slice of that cinnamon-scented, sentimental pie.
    Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
Definition of clambering
Verb
  • As with its forbear, a five-speed stick controlled all that, with the power reaching the road through the rear wheels.
    Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Ethiopia should commit to reaching a legally binding agreement based in international law that preserves all parties' water security while supporting Ethiopia's development goals.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of reaching
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near scrabbling

scrabbles

scrabbling

scrag

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Scrabbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabbling. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on scrabbling

Nglish: Translation of scrabbling for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of scrabbling for Arabic Speakers

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