scrabble

1.nounA2

Definition

a trademarked board game where players take turns placing letter tiles on a square grid to create words, with each letter having a different point value used for scoring.

Example

Isabela and Jin stayed up late playing Scrabble on a rainy Friday night.

collocation: play Scrabble

The letter Z is worth ten points in Scrabble because it rarely appears in words.

passive: be worth [number] points

Common collocations

play Scrabble
Scrabble board
Scrabble tile
Scrabble tournament
win at Scrabble

Grammar Patterns

play + Scrabble

Scrabble + noun (set, board, tournament)

Usage Note

This sense is a trademarked brand name and is always capitalised. In everyday conversation, people often say 'let's play Scrabble' as if it were a regular game name.

1.verbintransitiveB2

Definition

to use your fingertips to search hurriedly inside a confined space such as a bag or pocket, looking for an object that is out of sight.

Example

Mathieu scrabbled in his coat pocket for a tissue while his nose was running.

scrabble + in [container] + for [object]

The old woman scrabbled through her handbag for her reading glasses before the bus came.

scrabble through [container]

Common collocations

scrabble in
scrabble through
scrabble around
scrabble for
scrabble about

Synonyms

grope
implies slower, more uncertain searching, often in darkness
fumble
suggests clumsy or nervous hand movements, especially when handling something small
paw
more informal; suggests rough or awkward touching with the hands

Grammar Patterns

scrabble + for/in/through/around + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently followed by a prepositional phrase beginning with 'for' (the thing sought), 'in/through' (the container or space being searched), or 'around' (general movement). Commonly used in contexts where vision is not available (darkness, clutter, or urgency).

Common Mistakes

She scrabbled the key in her bag.

She scrabbled in her bag for the key.

scrabble is intransitive and needs a preposition like 'in' or 'for'.

2.verbintransitiveB2

Definition

to try urgently to get something that is limited in supply, often by acting faster or more aggressively than other people.

Example

Small local shops scrabbled for a share of the growing organic food market.

scrabble for [resource]

With only fifty tickets left, fans scrabbled to buy them online before the website crashed.

scrabble + to-infinitive

Common collocations

scrabble for
scrabble to
scrabble after

Synonyms

scramble
more common; suggests a similar rush but often with a sense of disorder
jostle
implies physical pushing or elbowing among competing people
vie
more formal; suggests competing for a position or advantage rather than a physical object

Grammar Patterns

scrabble + for + noun phrase

scrabble + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1 (GROPE FOR), this sense does not involve physical searching by touch. Instead, it describes a competitive rush for limited resources. The subject is often a group of people or organisations, not an individual acting alone.

Common Mistakes

I scrabbled for a ticket' (when many were available).

Fans scrabbled for the last few tickets.

this sense implies scarcity and competition, not simple wanting.

3.verbintransitiveB2

Definition

to climb or move quickly and a bit carelessly over a rough or steep surface, using your hands and feet for support.

Example

The children scrabbled up the rocky hillside to reach the old watchtower before sunset.

scrabble up [surface]

Hamza scrabbled over the garden wall when he heard his brother calling.

scrabble over [obstacle]

Common collocations

scrabble up
scrabble over
scrabble down
scrabble along

Synonyms

scramble
more common; implies a similar hurried climb, often on hands and knees
clamber
suggests a slower, more awkward climb, often with effort
claw
emphasises using the hands like claws to pull oneself upward

Grammar Patterns

scrabble + up/over/down/along + noun phrase

Usage Note

The surface is typically uneven, steep, or slippery — walls, slopes, banks, or trees. The direction is always specified (up, over, down, along). Distinguished from sense 4 (CLUMSY STRUGGLE) by the clear goal of reaching or crossing a location, rather than a general desperate movement.

4.verbintransitiveC1

Definition

to make clumsy or desperate movements with your hands, feet, or body, often scratching or scraping against a surface, because you are trying to get free, reach something, or keep your balance.

Example

The injured bird scrabbled against the ground, trying to lift itself back into the air.

scrabble against [surface]

Christopher scrabbled at the locked window, his fingernails scratching the old wooden frame.

scrabble at [something]

Common collocations

scrabble at
scrabble against
scrabble wildly
scrabble frantically

Synonyms

claw
emphasises scratching with nails or claws; more aggressive
scramble
more general; can describe any rapid, disorderly movement
scratch
focuses on the scraping action against a surface, but lacks the sense of struggle

Grammar Patterns

scrabble + at/against + noun phrase

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (GROPE FOR): sense 1 is about fingers searching for an unseen object in a container or space. Sense 4 is broader — it involves more of the body, often against a hard surface, and the motion is clumsy or desperate rather than exploratory. Common in descriptions of animals or people in distress.

5.verbtransitiveC1

Definition

to write something quickly and without care, producing messy or hard-to-read handwriting, usually because you are in a hurry.

Example

Maeve scrabbled a quick note on a napkin before the train left the platform.

scrabble + noun phrase (note/message)

The journalist scrabbled down the minister's quotes in her notebook during the press conference.

scrabble down [information]

Common collocations

scrabble a note
scrabble a message
scrabble down
scrabble on paper

Synonyms

scribble
more common; same meaning, but 'scribble' is used in both British and American English
scrawl
emphasises messy or illegible handwriting rather than just speed

Grammar Patterns

scrabble + noun phrase (note/message/letter)

scrabble + down/out + noun phrase

Usage Note

This sense is less common than 'scribble' or 'scrawl'. In modern British English it appears mainly in informal writing or narratives about hurried note-taking. The object is usually a short piece of writing (note, address, message), not a long document.

Common Mistakes

She scrabbled a long essay.

She scrabbled a quick reminder on a sticky note.

this sense is only for short, hurried writing, not extended composition.

Word family

scrabbled
adjectiveC1
scrabbling
adjectiveC1
scrabbler
nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four verbs describe using your hands to search or handle something in an uncertain way, but they differ in purpose and style. 'Scrabble' (verb/1) specifically means searching quickly with your fingers in a confined space — you scrabble IN something (a bag, pocket, drawer) FOR something you cannot see. 'Grope' is slower and more hesitant, often done in complete darkness or when blinded, and does not necessarily involve a container — you grope ALONG a wall or AROUND a room. 'Fumble' adds a sense of nervous clumsiness and is often used with small objects you are trying to pick up or operate — you fumble WITH keys or a phone. 'Paw' is more informal and suggests rough, awkward handling, as if using paws instead of hands — you paw AT something. For example, you might scrabble in your backpack for a pen, grope along a dark corridor for the door, fumble with a stubborn zipper, or paw through a pile of laundry.

scrabble ↗gropefumble ↗paw ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

fingers
hands
claws
feet
nails

Adverbs

Phrases

scrabble for a foothold
scrabble to one's feet
scrabble for survival

Prepositions

Etymology

DutchEnglish

The word 'scrabble' comes from the Dutch 'schrabbelen', which means 'to scratch or scrape repeatedly'. This was formed from 'schrabben' (to scrape) and a frequentative suffix that adds the sense of 'doing something over and over'. It entered English in the 1500s, keeping the idea of scraping or scratching. The verb senses about struggling to find or climb something came from this scratching motion. The board game Scrabble® was created in 1938 by architect Alfred Mosher Butts, who chose the name because the game involves 'scrabbling' with letters to form words.

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scrabble

scrabble — noun

1. a trademarked board game where players take turns placing letter tiles on a squa

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

scrabble — verb

1. to use your fingertips to search hurriedly inside a confined space such as a bag

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. to try urgently to get something that is limited in supply, often by acting fast

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. to climb or move quickly and a bit carelessly over a rough or steep surface, usi

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

4. to make clumsy or desperate movements with your hands, feet, or body, often scra

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

5. to write something quickly and without care, producing messy or hard-to-read han

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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