scramble
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to move quickly or climb over something using both your hands and your feet.
v.to move hurriedly or climb over rough terrain or obstacles, typically employing all four limbs.
Simple“The hikers had to scramble up the steep, rocky slope to reach the top.”
In context“We watched the children scramble over the driftwood and boulders as the tide began to advance toward the cliffs.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to compete or rush to do something because you are in a hurry or in a difficult situation.
v.to struggle or compete frantically with others to achieve a goal or collect items in a limited time.
Simple“Shoppers began to scramble for the best deals as soon as the doors opened.”
In context“When the government announced the new policy, journalists began to scramble for any available details to meet their midnight deadlines.”
- 03 A2 Elementary
v.to mix the white and yellow parts of eggs together and cook them in a pan.
v.to prepare eggs by stirring the yolks and whites together while cooking them over heat.
Simple“I usually scramble three eggs for breakfast and serve them with toast.”
In context“The chef demonstrated how to scramble the eggs over low heat to ensure a creamy texture without browning the edges.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
v.to change a radio or phone signal so that people cannot understand it without a special machine.
v.to make a telecommunications signal unintelligible to unauthorized listeners by electronic means.
Simple“The spy used a special device to scramble his voice during the phone call.”
In context“The broadcast was scrambled to prevent non-subscribers from accessing the premium sports content without authorization.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
v.to send military planes into the air very quickly to deal with a threat.
v.to order aircraft or pilots to take off immediately in response to an emergency or enemy threat.
Simple“The air force had to scramble two jets to check on the unidentified plane.”
In context“Upon detecting the radar signature of an intruder, the commander ordered the squadron to scramble immediately.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a walk or climb that is difficult and requires you to use your hands.
n.an act of climbing or moving over rough ground where the use of hands is necessary.
Simple“It was a tough scramble to the summit, but the view was worth it.”
In context“The final approach to the peak involves a three-hundred-meter scramble over loose scree and jagged limestone.”
- 07 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a situation where many people are rushing or competing for the same thing.
n.a confused or frantic rush; a period of intense and disorderly competition.
Simple“There was a mad scramble for seats when the train finally arrived.”
In context“The sudden bankruptcy of the firm led to a desperate scramble among creditors to secure the remaining assets.”
Usage scramble to buy
“All are swept along in the scramble to hop onboard the last tube – a panic that ended when all-night services began on some lines 10 years ago this month.”
“The scramble to buy the glasses caused some tempers to boil over.”
Origin uncertain. Perhaps from earlier dialectal scramble, scrammel (“to collect or rake together with the hands”), from scramb (“to pull or scrape together with the hands”) + -le (frequentative suffix) (compare Dutch schrammen (“to graze, brush, scratch”)); or alternatively from a nasalised form of scrabble (“to scrape or scratch quickly”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.