scrum
Americannoun
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a rugby play in which three members of each team line up opposite one another with a group of two and a group of three players behind them: the ball is then rolled between the opposing front lines and players attempt to kick the ball backward to a teammate.
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a project management method often used in agile development, centering around a small team with a schedule of short, fixed-length work cycles, each of which is used to complete some chunk of a complex or ongoing project.
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a place or situation of confusion and racket; hubbub.
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a chaotic, rushed attempt by multiple reporters to question one or more politicians, celebrities, etc..
The minister always left meetings through a back door to avoid the daily scrum.
verb (used without object)
noun
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rugby the act or method of restarting play after an infringement when the two opposing packs of forwards group together with heads down and arms interlocked and push to gain ground while the scrum half throws the ball in and the hookers attempt to scoop it out to their own team. A scrum is usually called by the referee ( set scrum ) but may be formed spontaneously ( loose scrum )
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informal a disorderly struggle
verb
Etymology
Origin of scrum
First recorded in 1885–90; short for scrummage
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.
In recent decades, so-called scrum teams—cross-functional groups focused on deploying and iterating quickly—have replaced a slower, step-by-step engineering methodology known as “waterfall.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
A scrum of reporters with cameras met Gamble at the courthouse doors as she left.
From Slate • May 4, 2026
Scrum-half Jeremy Fernandez took the ball from a scrum and broke down the blind side before putting a perfectly weighted kick behind the Saints defence for winger Ambadiang to race onto and score.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
A scrum of photographers captured the winners with their new hardware.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026
From the midst of the scrum, a light blue jersey leaped into the air; it was Kanue.
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.
