Thesaurus results for SCRIBBLING

scribbling

verb

present participle of scribble

as in scrawling

to write or draw hastily or carelessly she scribbled a quick note on the pad by the door before leaving

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in writing

to compose and set down on paper the words of he scribbled a quick note to his wife and taped it to the front door

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 scribbling His father, Bongo, recorded with artists on Houston label Swishahouse, while Toliver began scribbling rhymes in school notebooks and making rudimentary recordings through a PlayStation microphone. — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026 The gesture sets off a chain reaction, as a parade of strangers begins scribbling their own complaints, anxieties and grudges across the same tiles. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026 Barratt plays Tom Riddle, a former Hogwarts student who meets Harry in the form of a mysterious voice magically scribbling messages through an enchanted notebook. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2026 With the bulk of his work at practice done for the day, Achord retreats to the back of the end zone with Koonz, squatting and scribbling something on paper. — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Jack McGrail and Aiyana Da’Briel, staff leaders for the SoLa Live Accelerator program behind the event, seemed to be everywhere at once, passing out wristbands and scribbling on clipboards. — Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 This group – which included women with graying hair and comfortable OnCloud running shoes, a doctoral student scribbling in a tiny notebook and men wearing office casual chinos – were talking death over tea and vegan strawberry cookies in a gathering commonly called a Death Cafe. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 1 May 2026 As anachronisms constantly threaten to puncture the illusion, the cast stays wry, nimble and self-conscious in order to locate plot points and jokes that reinforce the golden-age radio setting, scribbling notes and introducing characters that propel them through ludicrous narrative arcs. — John Wenzel, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026 The trilogy concluded on April 1 with Fagen scribbling an inscrutable equation on the car window until, again, taking a break to consult an invisible timepiece on his wrist. — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scribbling

Verb

Now the former child phenom is accused of picking up a permanent marker and scrawling antisemitic graffiti on Southern California homes, according to authorities.

— Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank early Sunday, setting fire to two mosques and scrawling graffiti on buildings, Palestinian officials said.

— Reuters, NBC news, 27 July 2026

Definition of scrawling

Verb

Thinking that writing code was the only bottleneck for deploying new software is like the Titanic seeing the tip of the iceberg and assuming there was nothing underneath it.

— Brian Jenney, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Oct. 2026
Raichlen’s career, in a way, is similar in that he’s never been stuck in the lane of writing about barbecuing only brisket and pork.

— Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of writing

Verb

Lee is forever grunting and scratching and clearing his throat.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
People are advised to watch for signs of rodent activity including droppings, gnaw marks, scratching or scurrying sounds and rub marks along baseboards or around entry points.

— Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado Updated October 21, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of scratching

Browse Nearby Words

scribbles

scribbling

scribe

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Scribbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scribbling. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of scribbling

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

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