scrimmage
Americannoun
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a rough or vigorous struggle.
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Football.
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the action that takes place between the teams from the moment the ball is snapped until it is declared dead.
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a practice session or informal game, as that played between two units of the same team.
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verb (used with or without object)
noun
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a rough or disorderly struggle
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American football the clash of opposing linemen at every down
verb
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(intr) to engage in a scrimmage
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(tr) to put (the ball) into a scrimmage
Other Word Forms
- scrimmager noun
Etymology
Origin of scrimmage
1425–75; late Middle English, variant of scrimish, metathetic form of skirmish
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.
The Super Bowl marked Walker's third straight playoff game with 100-plus scrimmage yards, making him the only player in Seahawks history to accomplish that feat.
From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026
Daiyan Henley picked off a Maye deflection that was batted at the line of scrimmage by defensive tackle Teair Tart, giving the visitors the ball at the 10.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2026
On Friday, it began on the Ducks’ first play from scrimmage, when defensive back D’Angelo Ponds picked off a screen pass and ran it back for a touchdown.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026
The Trojans struggled often at the line of scrimmage.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 29, 2025
Fornatee had injured his hand when he fell during a scrimmage.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
