scramble

American  

[skram-buhl] / ˈskræm bəl /

verb (used without object)

• scrambles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• scrambled,
  past participle,  past
• scrambling
  present participle

1. to climb or move quickly using one's hands and feet, as down a rough incline.

2. to compete or struggle with others for possession or gain.

   The children scrambled for the coins we tossed.

3. to move hastily and with urgency.

   She scrambled into her coat and ran out the door.

4. Military. (of pilots or aircraft) to take off as quickly as possible to intercept enemy planes.

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verb (used with object)

• scrambles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• scrambled,
  past participle,  past
• scrambling
  present participle

1. to collect or organize (things) in a hurried or disorderly manner (often followed by together orup ).

   He scrambled the papers up from the desk. I scrambled the report together at the last minute.

2. to mix together confusedly.

   The teacher has hopelessly scrambled our names and faces.

3. to cause to move hastily, as if in panic.

   He scrambled everyone out of the burning building.

4. to cook (eggs) in a pan while stirring, usually after mixing whites and yolks together.

5. to make (a radio or telephonic message) incomprehensible to interceptors by systematically changing the transmission frequencies.

6. to mix the elements of (a television signal) so that only subscribers with a decoding box can receive the signal.

7. Military. to cause (an intercepting aircraft or pilot) to take off in the shortest possible time, in response to an alert.

noun

• scrambles
  plural

1. a quick climb or progression over rough, irregular ground.

2. a struggle for possession or gain.

   a scramble for choice seats in the stadium.

3. any disorderly or hasty struggle or proceeding.

4. Military. an emergency takeoff of interceptors performed in the shortest possible time.

scramble British  

/ ˈskræmbəl /

verb

1. (intr) to climb or crawl, esp by using the hands to aid movement

2. (intr) to proceed hurriedly or in a disorderly fashion

3. to compete with others, esp in a disordered manner

   to scramble for a prize

4. to deal with hurriedly and unsystematically

5. (tr) to throw together in a haphazard manner; jumble

6. (tr) to collect in a hurried or disorganized manner

7. (tr) to cook (eggs that have been whisked up with milk and seasoning) in a pan containing a little melted butter

8. military to order (a crew or aircraft) to take off immediately or (of a crew or aircraft) to take off immediately

9. (tr) to render (speech) unintelligible during transmission by means of an electronic scrambler

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noun

1. the act of scrambling

2. a climb over rocks that involves the use of the hands but not ropes, etc

3. a disorderly struggle, esp to gain possession

4. military an immediate preparation for action, as of crew, aircraft, etc

5. a motorcycle rally in which competitors race across rough open ground

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• scrambles
  plural

Participles

• scrambling
  present
• scrambled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• scramble
  simple
• scrambles
  simple
• have scrambled
  perfect
• has scrambled
  perfect
• am scrambling
  progressive
• are scrambling
  progressive
• is scrambling
  progressive
• have been scrambling
  perfect progressive
• has been scrambling
  perfect progressive

Past

• scrambled
  simple
• had scrambled
  perfect
• was scrambling
  progressive
• were scrambling
  progressive
• had been scrambling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will scramble
  simple
• will have scrambled
  perfect
• will be scrambling
  progressive
• will have been scrambling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of scramble

1580–90; blend of dial. scamble to stumble along, and scrabble (in the same sense)

Explanation

To scramble is to move quickly in a disorganized fashion, like people running to get out of the rain. When you scramble a message, it can no longer be read. Have you ever run somewhere, in a hurry, with no regard for how you looked? Then you scrambled. Quarterbacks scramble when they need to escape defenders trying to clobber them. A scramble is not graceful; people scramble when they want to get somewhere fast. Also, scrambling refers to altering a message so others can't read it. Putting a message into code is a type of scrambling. Scrambled messages are like scrambled eggs: all mixed up.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scramble scrambles scrambled scrambling

Over the past two weeks, the mad scramble for upside exposure in the U.S. equities market has been a sight to behold, according to Nomura’s Charlie McElligott.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

I Am Trusting was apparently roasted veggie hash, I Am Hearty was a tofu scramble and I Am Valued was a chorizo breakfast burrito.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

At the height of his powers, politicians from both sides would scramble to stay friendly with right-leaning Jones and his hit radio show.

From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026

The conservationists had scramble from the water up a cliff face in the dark to find cracks in the rocks where the snails could be safely left.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Torak only just managed to roll away in time and scramble to his feet.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

As the healthcare industry scrambles to integrate artificial intelligence, Eli Lilly is signaling it was already ahead of the curve.

From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026

As Big Tech scrambles to build artificial intelligence, demand for compute has far exceeded supply.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 24, 2026

The US is weighing lifting sanctions on some Iranian oil, as it scrambles to contain the impact of its war in Iran on energy markets.

From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026

“There’s literally something new every week, which scrambles the calculus,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 2, 2026

My mind scrambles for the perfect place to launch my prizes.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

Coastguard aircraft from as far afield as Prestwick and Carlisle have been scrambled to assist in the search alongside a "commercial" search and rescue helicopter.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

He completed four passes for 24 yards and also scrambled for 26 yards to help Carolina get to the Arizona five-yard line with two seconds left on the clock.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

Japanese jets scrambled 595 times in the year to March 31, 2026, including 366 sorties against Chinese aircraft and 214 for Russian planes.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

Migrants scrambled for food and water, and the streets became a sanitation mess.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

He scrambled for a foothold and stood, waiting for his breath to return, both arms embracing the tree.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Earlier this year, Main Street Sports Group alerted the NBA, National Hockey League and Major League Baseball that it would cease operations, leaving teams scrambling to cobble together TV coverage for their games.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

The number of wealthy Californians scrambling to nab exit options has grown alongside the number of Americans in total, according to the citizenship-by-investment firms.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Older adults could be scrambling for new health coverage next year, especially in rural markets that have fewer insurance choices.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

People across Scotland have been frantically scrambling to find the right kind of protective eyewear as the UK prepares for the best view of a solar eclipse in nearly three decades.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

They had learned that the evacuation wasn’t complete, and they did not want to vent while residents of any nearby town were still scrambling to leave.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

Related Words

• clamber
• climb
• contend
• crawl
• jostle
• push
• rush
• scurry
• vie