1
as in climbing
to move (as up or over something) often with the help of the hands in holding or pulling
the toddler scrambled up the stairs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in disrupting
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
scrambled the letters of the word
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scrambling
Cannon plays a Hollywood power agent scrambling to land Baldwin as the marquee name for a collapsing production.
—
Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
The following days have seen airlines struggling with delays and scrambling to add additional flights in order to accommodate affected customers.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Jan. 2026
Workplaces are scrambling to redefine what humans do best in the AI Era.
—Reshma Saujani, Time, 7 Jan. 2026
The governor’s office is scrambling to get the money back, a spokesman added.
—Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
At least two young children were caught up in the mayhem, which sent stroller-pushing parents scrambling for safety.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Thousands of travelers were stranded as their flights were suddenly canceled, scrambling to rebook flights and find accommodations.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Travel disruptions continued Sunday at Miami International Airport after hundreds of flights to and from the Caribbean were canceled, leaving passengers stranded, separated from their luggage, and scrambling to salvage vacation plans.
—Bri Buckley, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
For nearly a month, NASA has been scrambling to make contact with a spacecraft in orbit around Mars that abruptly fell silent.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrambling
Verb
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The price tag for competing in the artificial intelligence race is rapidly climbing, fueling demand for advanced computing power and the high-end chips that are needed to support it.—
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Shares of Vistra and Oklo rocketed higher following the news, climbing 15% and 17%, respectively.—
Verb
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Airlines canceled hundreds of flights, disrupting plans for thousands of travelers during a busy holiday weekend and in a region that experts say is among the most popular for travelers this time of year.—
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One woman, Trish, told CBS News the fear was already disrupting daily life amid an influx of 2,000 federal law enforcement members in the Twin Cities metro area.—
Verb
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The piece is a collection of disused shoemaker boxes, once used by cobblers to keep tools, pressed against each other and stacked up, clambering toward the ceiling.—
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By the end of the night, so many fans had crowd-surfed from the pit to the stage, clambering onto the platform, that the band members were barely visible.—
Verb
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Go on a street food tour Street food tours are great things to do in Sicily and a fabulous alternative to hours of shuffling through museums.—
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It's designed to offer a satisfying and calming shuffling motion, guided by a strong magnet and a seamless sliding track on the inside.—
Verb
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Canales-Pelaez said that local departments may be confusing administrative warrants with criminal ones, or overcomplying to avoid backlash from the state Legislature.—
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Among the factors hindering higher youth participation, CIRCLE research shows, include confusing registration deadlines and requirements, a lack of youth outreach and a dearth of regular curriculum that teaches young people about elections and voting in school.—
Verb
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Videos showing the physical abuse of nonverbal children on a Littleton Public Schools bus are disturbing and difficult to watch.—
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Over the next six months, disturbing details about the abuse Kevin’s youngest children endured at the hands of their mother and Hildebrandt emerged.—
Cite this Entry
“Scrambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrambling. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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