scrabble

1 of 2

verb

scrab·​ble ˈskra-bəl How to pronounce scrabble (audio)
scrabbled; scrabbling ˈskra-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce scrabble (audio)
Synonyms of scrabble

intransitive verb

1
: scrawl, scribble
2
: to scratch, claw, or grope about clumsily or frantically
3
a
: scramble, clamber
b
: to struggle by or as if by scraping or scratching
scrabble for survival

transitive verb

1
: scramble
2
: scribble
scrabbler
ˈskra-b(ə-)lər How to pronounce scrabble (audio)
noun

scrabble

2 of 2

noun

1
: scramble
2
: scribble
3
: a repeated scratching or clawing

Synonyms of scrabble

Relevance

Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of scrabble in a Sentence

Verb She scrabbled around in her handbag for a pen. He scrabbled at the slippery rock. Noun it'll be a long scrabble to pull ourselves out of poverty
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
Next went Marshall Allen, hands on his sax like feral scrabbling mice. — Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026 This left the ruling Labour Party scrabbling. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2025
Noun
Across the street from her, a kinetic scrabble of orange and blue runs the height of a five-story brick building like an electric charge. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2019 Anthony was happiest being with family & friends, and enjoyed playing scrabble & cards. — courant.com, 10 July 2019 See All Example Sentences for scrabble

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Dutch schrabbelen to scratch

First Known Use

Verb

1537, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scrabble was in 1537

Rhymes for scrabble

See All Rhymes for scrabble

Browse Nearby Words

scrab
scrabble
scrabbler
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scrabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrabble. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

scrabble

1 of 2 verb
scrab·​ble ˈskrab-əl How to pronounce scrabble (audio)
scrabbled; scrabbling -(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce scrabble (audio)
1
: to scratch or scrape about frantically with hands or paws
2
: scramble entry 1 sense 2
3
: to struggle by or as if by scraping or scratching
scrabble for a living
scrabbler
-(ə-)lər How to pronounce scrabble (audio)
noun

scrabble

2 of 2 noun
: an act or instance of scrabbling

More from Merriam-Webster on scrabble

Nglish: Translation of scrabble for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about scrabble

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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All