1
as in scrawling
to write or draw hastily or carelessly
she scribbled a quick note on the pad by the door before leaving
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in writing
to compose and set down on paper the words of
he scribbled a quick note to his wife and taped it to the front door
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scribbling
As anachronisms constantly threaten to puncture the illusion, the cast stays wry, nimble and self-conscious in order to locate plot points and jokes that reinforce the golden-age radio setting, scribbling notes and introducing characters that propel them through ludicrous narrative arcs.
—
John Wenzel, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
The trilogy concluded on April 1 with Fagen scribbling an inscrutable equation on the car window until, again, taking a break to consult an invisible timepiece on his wrist.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026
The customs officer began speaking to me very fast and pointing—the translator scribbling down notes all the while.
—Jeremy O. Harris, Vanity Fair, 1 Apr. 2026
Plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Lanier leaned on his down-home Texas folksiness throughout the trial, telling the jury what was on his heart and scribbling with grease pencil on his demonstrative aids.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
By then, a New York Tribune reporter had arrived and was furiously scribbling into his notepad.
—Charlotte Brooks, Big Think, 13 Mar. 2026
Family members, supporters of the defendants and law enforcement officers sat through hours of closing arguments and instructions to jurors, with some scribbling notes and others dabbing tears from their eyes.
—Sarah Bahari, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
That means no reporters scribbling down who’s canoodling with whom at the bar.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 11 Mar. 2026
Quatisha Maycock, 5, had just learned how to write her name and practiced scribbling it every day up until she was thrown into the Everglades and left to be eaten by alligators.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2026
John Wenzel, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
The trilogy concluded on April 1 with Fagen scribbling an inscrutable equation on the car window until, again, taking a break to consult an invisible timepiece on his wrist.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026
The customs officer began speaking to me very fast and pointing—the translator scribbling down notes all the while.
—Jeremy O. Harris, Vanity Fair, 1 Apr. 2026
Plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Lanier leaned on his down-home Texas folksiness throughout the trial, telling the jury what was on his heart and scribbling with grease pencil on his demonstrative aids.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
By then, a New York Tribune reporter had arrived and was furiously scribbling into his notepad.
—Charlotte Brooks, Big Think, 13 Mar. 2026
Family members, supporters of the defendants and law enforcement officers sat through hours of closing arguments and instructions to jurors, with some scribbling notes and others dabbing tears from their eyes.
—Sarah Bahari, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
That means no reporters scribbling down who’s canoodling with whom at the bar.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 11 Mar. 2026
Quatisha Maycock, 5, had just learned how to write her name and practiced scribbling it every day up until she was thrown into the Everglades and left to be eaten by alligators.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scribbling
Verb
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The act of scrawling them upon the page is tangible and pleasing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Nov. 2025
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Chalamet invites his Instagram followers to meet him at Regal Times Square to watch the first 30 minutes of Marty Supreme by scrawling the message on his Instagram Story in orange.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The local representative of the national government, Eduardo Pacheco, escalated Casagrande’s request, writing to the Interior Ministry on May 19 to request an exception to carry out preventive burns, BioBíoChile reported.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
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Demonstrating skills For years, roboticists have been working on getting robots to learn from demonstration—teaching them new skills by showing them what to do, rather than writing lines of code.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Unlike nylon brushes, silicone ones carry no risk of scratching or removing paint from your bottle.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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And he is viewed as a prospect who is just scratching the surface.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scribbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scribbling. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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