scramble
verb (used without object)
to climb or move quickly using one's hands and feet, as down a rough incline.
had been scrambling
-
past perfect progressiveof scramble.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even before the Dechert report, Harris had been scrambling to contain the political fallout.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
Dan Hart, Virgin Orbit’s chief executive, had been scrambling to find additional money since the company’s rocket failed to reach orbit after its launch from Cornwall, England.
From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 2023
Lawmakers had been scrambling to keep federal operations running and avoid a Christmas-period shutdown.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 20, 2022
The AI software told banks to deny millions of legitimate purchases, at a time when consumers had been scrambling for toilet paper and other essentials.
From Reuters ● Oct. 13, 2022
They had all had luncheon, and Pike had been scrambling up and down the rock like a monkey, and still there was no forward movement of the foe.
From Sunset Pass or Running the Gauntlet Through Apache Land by Charles King
