Word
scrabble
Phoneticsscrab·ble
US/ˈskɹæbəɫ/
UK/skɹˈæbəl/
Definition
v. to move your hands and feet quickly to climb or find something. You often do this when you are in a hurry or struggling to keep your balance.
v. to move or climb hurriedly using both hands and feet; to grope or scratch about frantically with the hands to find or collect something. Often implies a lack of grace or a sense of urgency.
Examples
“The hikers had to scrabble up the steep, rocky slope.”
“He had to scrabble through his messy desk to find the keys before the taxi arrived.”
“As the tide began to rise, the children had to scrabble over the slippery rocks to reach the safety of the higher cliffs before the path was submerged.”
Examples
simple
“The hikers had to scrabble up the steep, rocky slope.”
contextual
“He had to scrabble through his messy desk to find the keys before the taxi arrived.”
complex
“As the tide began to rise, the children had to scrabble over the slippery rocks to reach the safety of the higher cliffs before the path was submerged.”
Usage
Intransitive; frequently followed by prepositions of direction such as 'up', 'around', or 'through'.
Real-World Examples
“As it transpires that Hegarty already knows the answers to the questions he is asking, Garrick begins to crack – but she swiftly turns the tables so he is left scrabbling for explanations.” Etymology
A brand name, from the verb scrabble, James Brunot's rebranding (1948) of Alfred Butts's game Criss-Crosswords (1938).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/scrabble