scrabbling

verb

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

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 scrabbling Tarek Ghanem, a 41-year-old construction contractor who is homeless himself, ran from his tent 100 yards away to begin scrabbling through the debris. — Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026 The retaliation works, and soon Cole and his men are marching on foot, scrabbling their way through thickets and swamps. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 In addition, its luxury pricing will turn off many hobbyists and content creators who are scrabbling to make ends meet. — Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 25 June 2026 Imagine combat choreographed by ants, swarms of elbows and legs scrabbling to emerge victorious. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026 The actress and producer has had great success in recent years, turning her talents to working behind the scenes of comedies about young people scrabbling their way through life. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 2 June 2026 In the new South, one scrabbling to industrialize, business owners could now hire unpaid labor through the penal system. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026 That left the administration scrabbling for other ways to reimpose duties that were struck down. — Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2026 Next went Marshall Allen, hands on his sax like feral scrabbling mice. — Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrabbling
  1. climbing
  2. fumbling
  3. scrambling
  4. looking
  5. clambering
  6. reaching
Verb
  • Testosterone replacement therapy prescriptions are climbing fast, and the men on them are no longer whispering about it.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Some neighbors captured video showing people climbing from a third-floor window and fleeing the scene.
    — Abby Dodge, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of climbing
Verb
  • The fight sequences have an engaging messiness, the characters often fumbling around rather than delivering expert moves.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Clinicians should be working to support us, not fumbling incompetently or making paternalistic determinations.
    — Meg LeDuc, STAT, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of fumbling
Verb
  • With no obvious off-ramp for the protests and tensions rising as the violence continues, the government is scrambling to contain the situation outside high schools.
    — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
  • That has theoreticians scrambling to come up with alternative models.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of scrambling
Verb
  • The more exaggerated interpretations, with oversized collars that swallow the chin or heavy embellishment, are the ones most at risk of looking dated once the search curve bends.
    — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Far from throwing money away, renting is looking better by the day.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of looking
Verb
  • Commercial satellite operators are already clambering to claim space on Falcon 9s as the final sales are made.
    — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Sometimes only the tips of the reeds and the seed heads were visible, poking above the murky water, and other times the reeds stood fully exposed, with a clear view of crabs clambering around their bases.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of clambering
Verb
  • That commitment to authenticity began with the brand’s core foundation before reaching the broader public.
    — Chase Jordan October 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Preliminary flight data show the plane descended 17,400 feet over 92 seconds while reaching a peak velocity close to the speed of sound.
    — Christine Valora, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of reaching

Browse Nearby Words

scrabbles
scrabbling
scrag
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Cite this Entry

“Scrabbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabbling. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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