scrabbled

verb

past tense of scrabble
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

Relevance
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

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrabbled
  1. climbed
  2. fumbled
  3. scrambled
  4. looked
  5. clambered
Verb
  • Chinese authorities have reported seven deaths and more than 550 missing, while Nepal’s disaster agency said the death toll had climbed to 669 with 2,426 people missing.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Casey’s social team found its penetration with Gen Z has climbed 600 basis points over the past three years based on engagement.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of climbed
Verb
  • The company, which offers credit cards used to make rent and mortgage payments, had fumbled a critical transition, leading to confusion and financial stress for its customers.
    — Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • On his second drive, Tagovailoa fumbled the snap from center and the Dolphins recovered.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of fumbled
Verb
  • The war has scrambled that network, and cargo is now rerouted overland from Khor Fakkan and Fujairah, on the UAE’s east coast, where trucks queue as long as 12 hours against a 27-minute turnaround at Jebel Ali.
    — Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • If data center opposition has scrambled politics and electoral stereotypes across the country over the past few months, Box Elder County has shown that to be true even in the unlikeliest of places.
    — Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of scrambled
Verb
  • Extreme mountain climbing has never looked anything but miserable from the distance of a screening room, and The Other Side delivers mightily on all that scraping, straining, gasping toil.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Victor Munoz, the winger, looked set to sign from Osasuna in June, only for Liverpool to gazump Newcastle at the last moment.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of looked
Verb
  • People have clambered into helicopters from roof terraces and been winched up from the mud left behind by the floodwater, videos posted by the Nepali Army show.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Several members equipped with climbing harnesses clambered up a small tree on the school’s front lawn and dangled from its limbs on climbing ropes.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of clambered

Browse Nearby Words

scrabble
scrabbled
scrabbles
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scrabbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabbled. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All