scuttling

scuttling — verb

1. to move your feet rapidly in short, quick steps while hurrying somewhere, usuall

1.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to move your feet rapidly in short, quick steps while hurrying somewhere, usually because you are frightened or need to reach a safe place

Example

A small crab scuttled across the sand and disappeared into a hole.

scuttle + across + [surface]

The frightened children scuttled back inside when they heard the thunder.

scuttle + back inside (direction adverb)

Common collocations
  • scuttle across the floor
  • scuttle along the wall
  • scuttle away from danger
  • scuttle back inside
  • scuttle behind the furniture
  • scuttle out of sight
Synonyms
  • scurry

    lighter and faster than scuttle; often used for small animals moving busily

  • scamper

    playful or energetic quick movement, especially of children or small animals

  • dart

    a single sudden fast movement in a particular direction, not sustained running

Antonyms
  • saunter

    to walk slowly and in a relaxed way

  • stroll

    to walk in a slow, leisurely manner

Grammar Patterns

scuttle + adv/prep (across/along/away/back/behind/into/out of)

Usage Note

Usually followed by a preposition or adverb (across, along, away, back, behind, into, out of, under) that shows direction. The subject is typically a small creature (crab, mouse, insect) or a person moving in a hurried, nervous way.

Common Mistakes

The dog scuttled across the park.
The dog ran across the park.
'scuttle' suggests short, quick steps; large animals with long strides use 'run' instead.
He scuttled to answer the phone.
He hurried to answer the phone.
'scuttle' implies nervous or fearful movement, not ordinary hurry.

2. to cause a ship to go down to the bottom of the sea on purpose, especially to pr

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to cause a ship to go down to the bottom of the sea on purpose, especially to prevent an enemy from capturing it

Example

The captain ordered the crew to scuttle the ship rather than let the pirates take it.

scuttle + [ship] + reason clause

To stop the enemy from using it, the navy scuttled the damaged warship.

passive purpose: 'to …' + scuttle + [vessel]

Common collocations
  • scuttle a ship
  • scuttle a vessel
  • scuttle the fleet
  • scuttle the boat
  • scuttle in the harbour
Synonyms
  • sink

    a general term for going under water; does not imply intention

  • submerge

    formal term; not specific to destroying a ship

Grammar Patterns

scuttle + noun phrase (a ship / a vessel / a boat)

Usage Note

Common in historical or military contexts about naval battles. The passive form 'be scuttled' is frequent when the person who did the sinking is unknown or unimportant.

Common Mistakes

The storm scuttled the ship.
The storm sank the ship.
'scuttle' always means deliberate, intentional sinking by people, not by weather or accident.

3. to deliberately cause a plan, agreement, or process to fail or come to an end

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to deliberately cause a plan, agreement, or process to fail or come to an end

Example

Budget cuts scuttled the school's plans to build a new science laboratory.

scuttle + [plans] — budget/funding context

The disagreement between the leaders scuttled any hope of reaching a peace deal.

scuttle + [hope] + of + [gerund]

Common collocations
  • scuttle plans
  • scuttle hopes
  • scuttle an agreement
  • scuttle negotiations
  • scuttle a proposal
  • scuttle chances
  • scuttle a deal
Synonyms
  • sabotage

    implies intentional destructive action from within, often secretly

  • thwart

    focuses on preventing someone from achieving a goal; can be deliberate or circumstantial

  • derail

    metaphor similar to scuttle; often used for careers, negotiations, or plans

Antonyms
  • facilitate

    to make a process easier or more likely to succeed

  • advance

    to help a plan move forward

Grammar Patterns

scuttle + noun phrase (plan / project / hopes / chances / negotiations)

Usage Note

Often used in news reporting and formal writing about business, politics, or sports. The subject can be a person, an event, or a situation. Unlike 'ruin' or 'destroy', 'scuttle' implies a deliberate or decisive act that ends something completely, not gradual damage.

Common Mistakes

Bad weather scuttled our picnic.
Bad weather ruined our picnic.
'scuttle' is too strong and formal for everyday inconveniences; use 'ruin' or 'spoil'.
The company scuttled the old computer system.
The company scrapped the old computer system.
'scuttle' is for plans/projects/agreements, not physical objects.

Word family

  • scuttle
    verbB1
  • scuttled
    verb (past)B1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe quick, hurried movement, but they differ in style and context. 'Scuttling' emphasises short, rapid steps and is strongly associated with nervous or fearful escape — crabs scuttle sideways on a beach, and children scuttle indoors when frightened. 'Scurrying' suggests lighter, busier movement, often with a sense of purpose: office workers scurry to a meeting, or a squirrel scurries up a tree for food. 'Scampering' has a playful or energetic tone, used mainly for small animals or young children moving in a lively, carefree way — kittens scamper across the floor after a toy. 'Scrambling' involves using both hands and feet, often on rough or uneven ground, and carries a note of desperation or difficulty: hikers scramble up a rocky slope to reach the summit. Choosing the right word depends on the animal, the terrain, and the mood — scuttling is for fear, scurrying for busyness, scampering for play, and scrambling for effort.

scuttling ↗scurryingscamperingscrambling

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • scuttle out of sight
  • scuttle to safety
  • scuttle for cover

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'scuttle' has two separate origins that merged into modern English. The 'run' sense probably comes from an old dialect word related to 'scud' — meaning to move swiftly. The 'sink a ship' sense comes from a different source: Middle English 'scuttel', meaning a hatch or opening on a ship's deck (from Old French 'escoutille', a hatchway). Opening these hatches to let water in became the act of deliberately sinking a ship. By the 1800s, English speakers began using 'to scuttle a plan' as a metaphor, borrowing the image of a ship being destroyed on purpose. The '-ing' form 'scuttling' is the present participle, used as a verb form or as a noun describing the action itself.