scramble

[ˈskɹæmbl̩]

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scrambled - scramble

A scramble is a chaotic situation where lots of things are happening all at once and it's hard to keep track.

Imagine being at a big airport on a busy travel day - flights are delayed, planes are taking off and landing in rapid succession, and people are rushing to their gates. That's what it might look like when we say there's a scramble going on. Or maybe you're trying to get tickets for a popular concert or sports game, but the website is crashing and lots of other people are trying to buy them at the same time - that's another kind of scramble. In general, a scramble is a situation where things are chaotic and it feels like everything is happening too fast.

How common is "scramble"?

Word scramble is considered uncommon in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

noun

A rush or hurry, especially making use of the limbs against a surface.
Example: a last-minute scramble to the finish line
An emergency defensive air force mission to intercept attacking enemy aircraft.
A motocross race.
Any frantic period of competitive activity.

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sortie

verb

To move hurriedly to a location, especially by using all limbs against a surface.
To proceed to a location or an objective in a disorderly manner.
(of food ingredients, usually including egg) To thoroughly combine and cook as a loose mass.
Example: I scrambled some eggs with spinach and cheese.
To process (telecommunication signals) to make them unintelligible to an unauthorized listener.
To quickly deploy (vehicles, usually aircraft) to a destination in response to an alert, usually to intercept an attacking enemy.
To be quickly deployed in this manner.
To partake in motocross.
To ascend rocky terrain as a leisure activity.
To gather or collect by scrambling.
Example: to scramble up wealth
To struggle eagerly with others for something thrown upon the ground; to go down upon all fours to seize something; to catch rudely at what is desired.
To throw something down for others to compete for in this manner.

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interjection

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

Real examples of "scrambled" in context

Gordon Ramsay Savagely Critiques Spicy Wings | Hot Ones

Interview

on this wing, what I want to do is make you perfect scrambled eggs. I just need you

26:09

The ENTIRE HISTORY of Bill Cipher from Gravity Falls!

Entertainment

It was technically Fiddleford's laptop, but Fiddleford didn't remember because of how scrambled his mind had become over the years after leaving Ford's project.

9:39