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Definition of "scramble" []

  • To move or climb hurriedly, especially on the hands and knees. (verb-intransitive)
  • To struggle or contend frantically in order to get something: scrambled for the best seats. (verb-intransitive)
  • To take off with all possible haste, as to intercept enemy aircraft. (verb-intransitive)
  • Football To run around with the ball behind the line of scrimmage in order to avoid being tackled while searching for an open receiver. (verb-intransitive)
  • Football To run forward with the ball when unable to complete an intended pass play. Used of a quarterback. (verb-intransitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "scramble" in a sentence
  • "Redditer Niqalye posted this gem from a child on Reddit that gives a pretty disturbing answer to a word scramble about a goat."
  • "She is concerned that in the competitive world of fundraising, charities driven by honourable motives feel under pressure to raise money as soon as a disaster strikes, in what she calls a "scramble for donor dollars"."
  • "A label scramble followed, with suitors including rapper Jay-Z, before Maguire eventually signed to Universal Island for an undisclosed read: very large amount."