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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of scrum
Brand arrived on Friday morning to a scrum of photographers.
—
Alex Ritman, Variety, 2 May 2025
There won’t be a prime candidate for the media grim reaper scrum this year in Cincinnati.
—Paul Dehner Jr., New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
There have been a few testy postgame scrums following bad outings, and he’s been booed by fans since Opening Day.
—Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2025
While the linemen push forward, the quarterback is then pushed from behind by a tight end and a running back, akin to a scrum in rugby.
—Ben Morse and Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrum
Alex Ritman, Variety, 2 May 2025
There won’t be a prime candidate for the media grim reaper scrum this year in Cincinnati.
—Paul Dehner Jr., New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
There have been a few testy postgame scrums following bad outings, and he’s been booed by fans since Opening Day.
—Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2025
While the linemen push forward, the quarterback is then pushed from behind by a tight end and a running back, akin to a scrum in rugby.
—Ben Morse and Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrum
Noun
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As throngs jammed the street in front of the building, the Native Sons fired off Roman candles, pinwheels, and rockets, in celebration of America’s birthday.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
20 May 2025
-
Standing amid a throng of fellow protesters outside the Supreme Court Thursday morning, Young Woon Han was worried about his future son or daughter.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
15 May 2025
Noun
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Past skirmishes with Pakistan had allowed Modi to construct a triumphalist narrative of strength that played to his domestic audience.—
Vaibhav Vats,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2025
-
Türkiye has been vocal about its support for Pakistan in the wake of the border skirmishes, and India has severed ties with several of its businesses and universities.—
Jasreen Mayal Khanna,
AFAR Media,
19 May 2025
Noun
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What ensued was pure bedlam at Ball Arena, the crowd going ballistic as the captain scored his first goal since June 20, 2022, in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final versus Tampa Bay.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
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These ascendants met for back-to-back bedlam in March Madness.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
Noun
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These ideas are meant to give CNN viewers something extra in an era when many news executives acknowledge traditional presentations are losing their ability to captivate large crowds.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
27 May 2025
-
Far-right groups promoted a false rumor that the attacker was a migrant, leading to days of race riots that saw crowds of agitators target and attack hotels housing asylum seekers.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
27 May 2025
Noun
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The clash between Villaraigosa’s environmentalist credentials and oil-industry ties surfaced in the governor’s race after Valero announced in late April that its Bay Area refinery would close next year, not long after Phillips 66 said its Wilmington refinery would close in 2025.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2025
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Trump tests legal strategies as judges block his policies As the clash becomes a defining moment in the president's second term, conservative activists are pushing Congress to rein in federal judges and pressing Trump to intensify his fight with the courts.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
Noun
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The madhouse of awards season and all its many, many controversies — not to mention an ongoing parade of natural and man-made disasters — has until now perhaps overshadowed some of the year’s lower-stakes joys.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2025
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But things move fast in the Goodison madhouse.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
The Athletic,
9 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Sasse, a former U.S. senator with little higher education experience before he was tapped as UF’s president, was greeted by a swarm of protestors who stormed the alumni hall’s lobby after a meeting with students ended.—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 May 2025
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Andrew: People in and from Seattle seem to have a unique gift for kicking up otherwise dormant swarms of infected!—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
5 May 2025
Noun
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As a 60-person battle royale, matches can be extremely long and, in tournament play, repeat over and over for hours until a winning team can be crowned.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2025
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Salter is also in a quarterback battle with true freshman Julian Lewis.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrum. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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