1
as in throngs
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 skirmishes
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 madhouses
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 scrums
Bedard even found himself in the middle of a couple of scrums, at one point earning an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty for apparently flipping a puck at Alexandre Carrier’s, uh, midsection.
—
Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Capitol hallways have become an endless series of partisan scrums and press conferences where the two sides play the blame game, occasionally to each others’ faces on camera in impromptu scuffles.
—Steven T. Dennis, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Capitol hallways have become an endless series of partisan scrums and press conferences where the two sides play the blame game, occasionally to each others’ faces on camera in impromptu scuffles.
—Steven T. Dennis, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrums
Noun
-
Even though it was closed that day (it had been shut following the robbery), throngs were there — many wondering about the crime.—
Greg Palkot,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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The event drew such a large crowd on Sunday that several Surf City residents complained on social media about a lack of security and noise control, as throngs of attendees poured onto the streets and blocked traffic.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Activists literally or figuratively flying the antifa flag have long been among the subset of people who go to protests to destroy property and get into violent skirmishes with far-right protestors (like the Proud Boys).—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Law enforcement officers have deployed tear gas and pepper balls in skirmishes with protesters.—
Natasha Korecki,
NBC news,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Parts of the organization could become minimum viable organizations (MVOs) where swarms of AI agents oversee most work, while people check their outputs.—
Erik Roth,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The result is a mobile, autonomous counter-drone system that can defeat swarms of unmanned aircraft with precision and minimal collateral damage.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Both sides cautiously pursue normalization after years of recurring clashes.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
-
As tensions boiled, clashes broke out and federal agents used pepper balls and tear gas, hitting journalists, a pastor and officers with the Chicago Police Department, according to reports and a lawsuit.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Back in 1961, residents of Capitola woke up to find that hordes of black seabirds were slamming into cars, windows and people's homes and dying.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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The birds have survived in hordes in the deserts, but civilization nearly always spells their doom.—
Jack O'Connor,
Outdoor Life,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The woman said they are getting used to one another, but, luckily, there have been no fights.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Filmmaking is nitpicking, anxiety, fights, claustrophobia, exhaustion, euphoria.—
Susan Sontag,
Vogue,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In the roaring 1920s, barnstorming and flying circuses featuring wing walkers and aerial acrobatics soared in popularity.—
Daniel Cote,
Robb Report,
17 Oct. 2025
-
One of her obituaries celebrated the life of a Bureau of Reclamation photographer who transitioned from a man to a woman and built miniature circuses.—
Susan Greene,
Denver Post,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Outbreaks surged in late 2024 and early 2025, affecting hundreds of commercial flocks and millions of birds, and leading to severe egg shortages and soaring prices.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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The National Turkey Federation estimates that 60% to 80% of turkey flocks were infected in 2024.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrums. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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