scram·ble
ˈskram-bəl 
scrambled; scrambling
ˈskram-b(ə-)liŋ
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
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
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
Lolita C. Baldor4
: to disarrange the elements of a transmission (such as a telephone or television signal) in order to make unintelligible to interception
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 textures—Vogue
Vogue3
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
David OwenSynonyms
Verb
Noun
- agglomerate
- agglomeration
- alphabet soup
- assortment
- botch
- clutter
- collage
- crazy quilt
- farrago
- gallimaufry
- grab bag
- gumbo
- hash
- hodgepodge
- hotchpotch
- jambalaya
- jumble
- jungle
- litter
- macédoine
- medley
- mélange
- menagerie
- miscellanea
- miscellany
- mishmash
- mixed bag
- montage
- motley
- muddle
- olio
- olla podrida
- omnium-gatherum
- pastiche
- patchwork
- patchwork quilt
- potpourri
- ragbag
- ragout
- rummage
- salad
- salmagundi
- shuffle
- smorgasbord
- stew
- tumble
- variety
- welter
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
Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2024
These days, many working Americans are at their jobs on Election Day, while their children have the day off from schools that double as polling sites, often leaving parents scrambling for childcare.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2024
ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024
His 31-yard scramble on third-and-8 set up the Rebels’ first touchdown after halftime.
—Matt Jones, arkansasonline.com, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scramble 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Rohan Nadkarni Patrick Mahomes scrambled right on 3rd-and-goal and flipped a seven-yard pass to Semaje Perine for a touchdown.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2024
These days, many working Americans are at their jobs on Election Day, while their children have the day off from schools that double as polling sites, often leaving parents scrambling for childcare.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
So that kind of scrambles the electoral map – math.
—ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024
His 31-yard scramble on third-and-8 set up the Rebels’ first touchdown after halftime.
—Matt Jones, arkansasonline.com, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scramble
Dictionary Entries Near scramble
Cite this Entry
“Scramble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scramble. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scramble
1 of 2 verb
scram·ble
ˈskram-bəl
scrambled; scrambling
-b(ə-)liŋ
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
scramble
2 of 2 noun1
: a scrambling movement
2
: a disordered mess
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