scramble

1 of 2

verb

scram·​ble ˈskram-bəl How to pronounce scramble (audio)
scrambled; scrambling ˈskram-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce scramble (audio)

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move with urgency or panic
scrambled to his feet
b
: to move or climb hastily especially on all fours
scramble over rocks
2
a
: to struggle eagerly or unceremoniously for possession of something
scramble for front seats
players scrambling for the ball
b
: to get or gather something with difficulty or in irregular ways
scramble for a living
3
: to spread or grow irregularly : sprawl, straggle
4
of an interceptor fighter aircraft : to take off quickly in response to an alert
5
of a football quarterback : to run with the ball after the pass protection breaks down

transitive verb

1
: to collect or put together hastily
scramble up a dinner for unexpected guests
2
a
: to toss or mix together in confusion : to throw into disorder : jumble
Bad weather often scrambles the train schedules.
scrambled the pages of the manuscript
b
: to prepare (eggs) by stirring during frying
scramble some eggs for breakfast
3
: to cause or order (interceptor fighter aircraft) to take off quickly
Keating said he ordered the fighters to be scrambled immediately after seeing information about the crash on television.Lolita C. Baldor
4
: to disarrange the elements of a transmission (such as a telephone or television signal) in order to make unintelligible to interception
scrambler noun

scramble

2 of 2

noun

1
: the act or an instance of scrambling: such as
a
: the act of moving or climbing over something quickly especially on all fours
a scramble over the boulders
b
: a jostling and pushing for possession
a scramble for the ball
c
: an eager and unceremonious or unscrupulous struggle
a scramble for power
d
: a rapid emergency takeoff of interceptor fighter aircraft
e
football : a play in which the quarterback runs with the ball while being chased by defensive players after the pass protection breaks down
He gained 10 yards on the scramble.
2
: a disordered mass : jumble
a … scramble of patterns and texturesVogue
3
golf : a team competition in which all the members of a team tee off on each hole, one of the tee shots is selected, all members hit shots from the position of the selected shot, one shot is again selected, and the process is continued until the hole is completed
Sawgrass seemed a far cry from the first competitive golf event I ever played in, a weekend scramble at my local club.David Owen

Examples of scramble in a Sentence

Verb We scrambled over the boulders and kept climbing up the mountain. He scrambled up the ramp. reporters scrambling to finish stories by deadline Both players scrambled for the ball. News of the factory closing found workers scrambling to find jobs. It started to rain, and we all scrambled for cover. I'll scramble some eggs for breakfast. Noun a quick scramble over boulders the scramble for power in the country a scramble for the ball There was a mad scramble to fill vacant positions at the school.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Sometimes companies scramble to hide the extent of a breach, leaving customers in the dark about how to safeguard their information after a hack. Chris Velazco, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Business leaders have been scrambling to find new ways to keep workers happy and engaged over the past few years—from offering on-site therapy, to fitness classes and time management courses. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 But Garvey’s mid-October entrance ultimately scrambled the field, giving California’s ever-shrinking but still far from insignificant Republican base a candidate to rally behind. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 One panicky group scrambled to get medical care for a schoolmate who had been shot through the jaw. Alma Guillermoprieto, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Reconsideration is not typically granted, but the ruling has been contentious, with lawmakers scrambling to pass bills aimed at protecting in vitro fertilization as IVF clinics began pressing pause on parts of treatments. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 Love got the goal that had Lakewood (17-5-6) scrambling. John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 The snow piled up so thickly on rooftops that when another storm threatened more snow and rain, residents had to scramble to shovel off enough weight to keep their roofs from caving in. Megan Michelson, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 This way the attack continues to move at speed and the defense is caught scrambling to contain them. Vitas Carosella, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
Meanwhile, there’s a diplomatic scramble to avert full-scale war between Israel and Lebanon. Hazem Balousha, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 The politics have resulted in an odd scramble over the Alabama ruling. Emily Bazelon, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 This thing that people on the internet scramble to get their hands on. Liam Hess, Vogue, 29 Feb. 2024 Jeff Bezos, Nvidia Corp. and other big technology names are investing in a business that’s developing human-like robots, according to people with knowledge of the situation, part of a scramble to find new applications for artificial intelligence. Mark Gurman, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2024 The betting sites are already watching the scramble. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 The scramble among staffers appears to have been sparked by a tech update by the company. Lachlan Cartwright, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024 Lawyers representing a crypto trade group that includes one of the nation’s largest bitcoin mining companies have scored an interim victory in their scramble to stop the federal government’s attempt to collect data about their energy usage. Cyrus Farivar, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Sherrod stole it again with 43 seconds to go but then got hurt again in the scramble and had to be helped off the court. Matthew Coles, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scramble.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

perhaps alteration of scrabble entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1568, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scramble was in 1568

Dictionary Entries Near scramble

Cite this Entry

“Scramble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scramble. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

scramble

1 of 2 verb
scram·​ble ˈskram-bəl How to pronounce scramble (audio)
scrambled; scrambling -b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce scramble (audio)
1
a
: to move with urgency or panic
b
: to move or climb hastily on all fours
2
: to strive or struggle for something
scramble for front seats
3
a
: to toss or mix together : jumble
b
: to cook the mixed whites and yolks of eggs by stirring them while frying
scrambler noun

scramble

2 of 2 noun
1
: a scrambling movement
2
: a disordered mess

More from Merriam-Webster on scramble

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!