1
as in throng
a great number of persons or creatures massed together
I had to fight my way through the scrum of holiday shoppers at the mall
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
when the server spilled a drink on a customer, they got into a bit of a scrum before being separated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bedlam
British
a place of uproar or confusion
London's tube is quite a scrum during rush hour
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scrum
And more Democratic governors hinted at potential presidential campaigns at last week’s NAN conference in New York City, adding to the scrum of politicians who aren’t hiding their interest about the next cycle.
—
Julia Mueller, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2026
Things haven’t gone the way of the town or county in the legal scrum so far.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026
The ensuing scrum ended with Nick Foligno serving four minutes for roughing and Dallas on the power play.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2026
The game featured several scrums after the whistle, a spirited fight between Montreal’s Josh Anderson and Tampa Bay’s Declan Carlile, and seven 10-minute misconducts — culminating in 126 penalty minutes.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scrum
Julia Mueller, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2026
Things haven’t gone the way of the town or county in the legal scrum so far.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026
The ensuing scrum ended with Nick Foligno serving four minutes for roughing and Dallas on the power play.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2026
The game featured several scrums after the whistle, a spirited fight between Montreal’s Josh Anderson and Tampa Bay’s Declan Carlile, and seven 10-minute misconducts — culminating in 126 penalty minutes.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrum
Noun
-
Honk asked if many people, perhaps not seeing those signs, believe a throng of solo drivers are violating the law.—
Jim Radcliffe,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In its early years, the mall hosted a variety of celebrities and entertainment, from walk-around cartoon characters for throngs of exuberant kids to a visit from Chicago radio icon Dick Biondi for autographs.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Pittsburgh Penguins staved off elimination for the second straight game with a clutch Game 5 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night, but celebrations were briefly halted when a skirmish erupted over a controversial hit on Sidney Crosby after the final buzzer.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Walker, in a 10-pitch skirmish, drew a walk.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At one point during the bedlam, a firework appears to be set off in the windshield wiper cowl, with sparks flying into the cruiser's windshield.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
At the end of Saturday night’s game, Kennard did what he had been acquired to do, the reason the Lakers call him off the bench, draining a 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left, sending the bench into bedlam and giving the Lakers (46-25) a 105-104 victory over the Orlando Magic (38-32).—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In his post-match press conference, Arteta praised the courage of his players to play short, even after the Emirates crowd weren’t pleased with how that first move failed.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The same goes for facilities like Escape Lounges, which may cut off access, add a waitlist or stop selling day passes based on real-time crowd conditions.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
City will have one eye on clinching the FA Cup trophy for the third time in eight years, while Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final clashes with Atletico Madrid will take plenty out of them physically and mentally.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The dog-waste donnybrook was similar to another recent clash in Brooklyn that saw a 75-year-old grandmother jumped and beaten for complaining that a dog walker was not cleaning up the pooch’s poop.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Headphones are often my saving grace in this madhouse.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
17 Apr. 2026
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In practice, this means a madhouse of multimedia rooms, packed with gurgling videos and useless machines and humanoid bodies.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ceija Stojka’s small paintings at the Drawing Center swarm with such harrowing incident that viewers may not spot the mystery in the bottom right corner of many of her canvases.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
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If the swarm enters your home or other structure such as a shed, contact a professional pest control or beekeeper immediately to eliminate the nest.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Voters will probably be bombarded with political ads and arguments from opposing sides as the battle intensifies.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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The Koh-i-Noor then spent 70 years in Afghanistan, where it was passed around by leaders who won bloody battles against one another.—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrum. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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