Thesaurus results for SCRABBLING

scrabbling

verb

present participle of scrabble

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

Relevance

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

Verb

With prices climbing faster than paychecks, small changes to everyday spending can help stretch your budget.

— Dan Avery, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
Go plays Park Hyun-tae, an executive director in Chronic Motors’ Seoul office who has come back from the company’s European headquarters after climbing the corporate ladder at a young age.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of climbing

Verb

After not fumbling all year and not committing a turnover throughout the month of October, Young got strip-sacked in the second quarter and Tampa Bay returned it for a touchdown.

— Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
The Seahawks had one of the worst turnovers in the NFL this season, fumbling in their own end zone and handing the 49ers a touchdown with 13 seconds left in the first half.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of fumbling

Verb

Wait for the rows in front of you to get up and head to the exit, rather than scrambling to snatch your items from the overhead bins and just crowding the aisle.

— Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
So states have been scrambling since the notifications began going out Tuesday to figure out where the DOJ plans to be.

— Miles Parks, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of scrambling

Verb

Ceramides support the skin barrier, while squalane and fatty acids help lock in moisture for a smoother, glowier-looking neck.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2026
Researchers found that some counterfeit devices even reported legitimate looking Samsung model identifiers.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 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

Browse Nearby Words

scrabbles

scrabbling

scrag

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Scrabbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrabbling. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of scrabbling

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes