scramble — ozdic

Collocations

12

1

(noun.)

ADJ

difficult, steep

desperate, mad, undignified, wild

When the store announced a fifty percent discount, customers made a wild scramble toward the clothing racks.

PREP

in a/the ~

During the scramble for tickets, several people got separated from their friends.

~ down, over, up, etc.

The children scrambled up the rocky hill as fast as they could to see the view.

~ for

When the store announced the sale, customers scrambled for the best bargains before they sold out.

2

(verb.)

ADV

frantically

The children scrambled frantically up the hillside when they heard the ice cream truck arriving.

awkwardly | away, back

VERB + SCRAMBLE

manage to

PREP

down, into, out of, over, through, up, etc.

The children scrambled up the rocky hillside to reach the viewpoint at the top.

PHRASES

scramble to your feet

After the fall, she quickly scrambled to her feet and brushed off her jeans.

scramble to safety

Definitions

verb

1

To move hurriedly to a location, especially by using all limbs against a surface.

As half-time approached Fabregas had another chance to give Barcelona the lead. He collected an incisive Messi pass and this time beat Cech, who required Cole to scramble back and clear the ball off the line.

When I saw the coffin I knew that I was respited, for, as I judged, there was space between it and the wall behind enough to contain my little carcass; and in a second I had put out the candle, scrambled up the shelves, half-stunned my senses with dashing my head against the roof, and squeezed my body betwixt wall and coffin.

2

To proceed to a location or an objective in a disorderly manner.

3

To thoroughly combine and cook as a loose mass.

I scrambled some eggs with spinach and cheese.

4

To process telecommunication signals to make them unintelligible to an unauthorized listener.

5

To quickly deploy (vehicles, usually aircraft) to a destination in response to an alert, usually to intercept an attacking enemy.

But on April 13 it 'scrambled' a rake of Mk 2s and dual-braked 'Black 5' 45212 to start its lucrative summer money-spinner two days later.

noun

1

A rush or hurry, especially making use of the limbs against a surface.

a last-minute scramble to the finish line

2

An emergency defensive air force mission to intercept attacking enemy aircraft.

1984, Steve Harris, "Aces High", Iron Maiden, Powerslave. There goes the siren that warns of the air raid / Then comes the sound of the guns sending flak / Out for the scramble we've got to get airborne / Got to get up for the coming attack.

3

A motocross race.

4

Any frantic period of competitive activity.

And the Leeds defence, led by the impressive Alex Bruce, was also in determined mood. Jonathan Howson had to clear a Sebastien Squillaci effort off his line and Becchio was also in the right place to hack clear after a goalmouth scramble.

[I]n the 575 days since [Oscar] Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, there has been an unseemly scramble to construct revisionist histories, to identify evidence beneath that placid exterior of a pugnacious, hair-trigger personality.

5

An impromptu maneuver or run by a quarterback, attempting to gain yardage or avoid being tackled behind the line of scrimmage.

intj

1

Shouted when something desirable is thrown into a group of people who individually want that item, causing them to rush for it.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — rushing about hastily in an undignified way

noun — an unceremonious and disorganized struggle

scuffle

verb — stir vigorously

beat

verb — bring into random order

jumble

verb — climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling

Antonyms

unscramble

Idioms & Phrases

kick bollocks scramble

A free for all or panic situation.

As the project came to an end, it was all a bit of a kick bollocks scramble.

Example Bank

6

01

As half-time approached Fabregas had another chance to give Barcelona the lead. He collected an incisive Messi pass and this time beat Cech, who required Cole to scramble back and clear the ball off t

Wiktionary

02

When I saw the coffin I knew that I was respited, for, as I judged, there was space between it and the wall behind enough to contain my little carcass; and in a second I had put out the candle, scramb

Wiktionary

03

I scrambled some eggs with spinach and cheese.

Wiktionary

04

a last-minute scramble to the finish line

Wiktionary

05

1984, Steve Harris, "Aces High", Iron Maiden, Powerslave. There goes the siren that warns of the air raid / Then comes the sound of the guns sending flak / Out for the scramble we've got to get airbor

Wiktionary

06

And the Leeds defence, led by the impressive Alex Bruce, was also in determined mood. Jonathan Howson had to clear a Sebastien Squillaci effort off his line and Becchio was also in the right place to

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, scramble is marked as UK. Watch for register when choosing this word.