scrabble

1 of 2

verb

scrab·​ble ˈskra-bəl 

scrabbled; scrabbling ˈskra-b(ə-)liŋ 

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 

noun

scrabble

2 of 2

noun

1

: scramble

2

: scribble

3

: a repeated scratching or clawing

Synonyms

Verb

• clamber
• climb
• scramble
• swarm

Noun

• battle
• fight
• fray
• struggle
• throes

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

Verb

There are other ethnic lines drawn among Gotham’s gangs, each scrabbling for a little bit more of the pie that Carmine used to keep mostly for himself. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024

Relatively recently, humans were scrabbling in the dirt, and hunting for animals, and writing things on cave walls, or later, parchments. —John Werner, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024

Noun

One-third of Americans drink regular Coke, which commands about 19 percent of soft drink sales, while other soft drinks scrabble for a distant second place at around 8 percent of the market. —Whizy Kim, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Favorite Hobbies: Playing scrabble, writing, trivia. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 6 Sep. 2023

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

Kids Definition

scrabble

1 of 2 verb

scrab·​ble ˈskrab-əl 

scrabbled; scrabbling -(ə-)liŋ 

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 

noun

scrabble

2 of 2 noun

: an act or instance of scrabbling