The scramble for Africa was the last wave of colonialism.
Source: tatoeba (2283995)
Scramble
/ˈskɹæmbl̩/
Synonyms for "scramble" (449 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (90)
actionadmixadoaerial combataesopian languageaffrayagitationair coverair raidair supportall foursall sortsalloyamalgamateargotarmored combatarsy-varsinessascendassemblageassortment
Show 62 more words
babblebabelball upbattlebattle royalbemingleblendbollix upboltbombingbotherbotherationboxbrawlbroad spectrumbroilbrouhahabrushbullfightbundleburstbustlecantcareerchasecipherclamberclashclash of armsclimbclosecluttercoalescecockfightcodecollidecombatcombinecome to blowscomminglecommixcommotioncompetitioncomplicatecomposecompoundconcoctconflictconfoundconfuseconglomerateconglomerationcontendcontentioncontestcovercrawlcrawlingcreepcreepingcrowdcryptogram
Noun(4 words)
Strong matches (135)
cut and thrustdartdashdash offdash ondisorderdisturbancedogfightdonnybrookdonnybrook fairdouble dutchdouble timedouble-timedrivedrive ondry rundueldustupembroilmentemulsify
Show 99 more words
exchange blowsexchange of blowsfarragofeery-faryfencefermentfestinatefeudfidgetinessfightfight a duelfire fightfitflapflingflurryflusterflutterflutterinessfoofarawforge aheadfoul upfracasfrayfree-for-allfumblefusefussfussinessgallimaufrygarbleget goingget movinggibberishgift of tonguesgive and takegive satisfactionglossolaliago aheadgo all outgo on tiptoegobbledygookgrapplegrapple withgreekground combatgrovelgumshoegumshoeinghand-to-hand combathand-to-hand fighthashhasslehastehastenhelter skelterhelter-skelterhiehiggledy-piggledyhodgepodgehomogenizehotchpothotchpotchhouse-to-house combathubbubhugger muggerhullabaloohumphump ithurryhurry onhurry scurryhurry throughhurry uphurry-scurryhurtlehustlehysteron proteronimmingleimmixinchinch alongintegrateinterblendinterlaceinterlardintermingleintermixintertwineinterweavejargonjostlejoustjumblejunglekneadleaplitterlose no time
Noun(12 words)
Verb(3 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Related words (224)
maelstrommagpiemake hastemake things hummake unintelligiblemashmedleymelangemeleemergemessmilk runminglemingle-manglemiscellanymishmashmissionmixmix it upmix up
Show 162 more words
mixed bagmove quicklymuck upmuddlemystifynaval combatnightwalknightwalkingnoiseobfuscateobscureodds and endsolioolla podridaomnium-gatherumpadpaddingpandemoniumpassage of armspasticciopastichepatchworkpell mellpell-mellpipitched battleplay hob withplungepostpotherpotpourripress onprowlprowlingpushpush onpussyfootpussyfootingquarrelraceracketramblerampagerasslereconnaissancereconnaissance missionrestlessnessriffleriotrough-and-tumbleroughhouserowruckusructionrumblerummagerumpusrunrun a tiltrunning fightrushrush throughsaladsalmagundisaucescamperscootscourscrabblescramble upscrew upscrimmagescudscufflescurryscuttlesecret languageshadowshindyshootshoot aheadshoving matchshuffleshuttle raidsidlesidlingskedaddleskirmishslangslinkslinkingsnafusnakesnakingsnarlsnarl upsneaksneakingsortiesparspasmspeedspranglesprawlspread eaglespread-eaglespurtstand-up fightstealsteal alongstealingstep livelystep on itstewstirstir upstraddlestrafingstragglestreet fightstrivestrugglesweatswirlsyncretizetangletauromachytearthrow togetherthrust and parrytilttippytoetiptoetiptoeingto doto-dotopsy-turvinesstopsy-turvydomtoss togethertourneytraining missiontroubletug-of-wartumbletumultturmoiltussleumbrellaunholy messunquietuproarvortexwage warwarwelterwhat you willwhirlworkwormworm alongwormingwrestle
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: action, admix, ado, aerial combat, aesopian language.
- Sentence evidence is available for scramble, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "scramble".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "scramble"
Keep "scramble" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "scramble" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "scramble", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "scramble" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
34 entriesShowing 16 of 34 words.
More specific
15 entriesbeatbit scramblingdashdata maskingdisarrangefrantic rushhodgepodgemaskingmishmashmuddlepermutationsequence scramblingshufflewhipwhisk
Collocations
12 entriesbit scrambledata scrambledata scramblinggenetic scramblescramble algorithmscramble for exitsscramble for powerscramble keyscramble operationscramble procedurescrambled datasequence scrambling
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesTranslations
5 translations across 4 languages.
Finnish
1 entries- lähettää verb (to quickly enter vehicles and proceed to destination)
German
1 entries- ausschwärmen verb (to quickly enter vehicles and proceed to destination)
Polish
2 entries- wyrwać się verb (to quickly enter vehicles and proceed to destination)
- wyrywać się verb (to quickly enter vehicles and proceed to destination)
Russian
1 entries- подня́ться по трево́ге verb (to quickly enter vehicles and proceed to destination)
Sample sentences
20 total sentences available.
We had to scramble.
Source: tatoeba (5756770)
At sight of her Anne tried to scramble to her feet, but sank back again with a sharp little cry of pain.
Source: tatoeba (5833838)
A failed omelet makes a pretty good scramble.
Source: tatoeba (10050919)
Showing 4 of 20 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "scramble"?
Closest matches include action, admix, ado, aerial combat, aesopian language.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "scramble"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.