- 1[intransitive] + adv./prep. to move quickly, especially with difficulty, using your hands to help you synonym clamber She managed to scramble over the wall. He scrambled to his feet as we came in. They finally scrambled ashore. He scrambled up the cliff and raced toward the car. do something quickly
- 2[intransitive] scramble to do something + adv./prep. to move or do something quickly because you are in a hurry Rescue workers scrambled to find survivors in the wreckage.
- 3[intransitive] to push, fight, or compete with others in order to get or to reach something scramble for something The audience scrambled for the exits. scramble to do something Shoppers were scrambling to get the best bargains. eggs
- 4[transitive, usually passive] scramble something to cook an egg by mixing the white and yellow parts together and heating them, sometimes with milk and butter scrambled eggs telephone/radio
- 5[transitive, often passive] scramble something to change the way that a telephone or radio message sounds so that only people with special equipment can understand it scrambled satellite signals confuse thoughts
- 6[transitive] scramble something to confuse someone's thoughts, ideas, etc. so that they have no order Alcohol seemed to have scrambled his brain. aircraft
- 7[transitive, intransitive, usually passive] scramble (something) to order that planes, etc. should take off immediately in an emergency; to take off immediately in an emergency A helicopter was scrambled to help rescue three young climbers. They scrambled as soon as the call came through.
- 8[intransitive] (of a quarterback in football) to run around with the ball while waiting for a chance to throw it He scrambled left and right on the play.
scramble
verbNAmE//ˈskræmbl//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they scramble he / she / it scrambles
past simple scrambled
-ing form scrambling
Check pronunciation: scramble