scrabble
scrabble — noun
1. a trademarked board game where players take turns placing letter tiles on a squa
a trademarked board game where players take turns placing letter tiles on a square grid to create words, with each letter having a different point value used for scoring.
Isabela and Jin stayed up late playing Scrabble on a rainy Friday night.
collocation: play Scrabble
The letter Z is worth ten points in Scrabble because it rarely appears in words.
passive: be worth [number] points
Vikram won the school Scrabble tournament by learning short words with two letters.
Niran's grandmother keeps a travel-sized Scrabble set in her handbag for long train journeys.
文法句型
play + Scrabble
Scrabble + noun (set, board, tournament)
用法筆記
This sense is a trademarked brand name and is always capitalised. In everyday conversation, people often say 'let's play Scrabble' as if it were a regular game name.
scrabble — verb
- scrabblepresent simple I / you / we / they
- scrabbleshe / she / it
- scrabbledpast simple
- scrabbling-ing form
1. to use your fingertips to search hurriedly inside a confined space such as a bag
to use your fingertips to search hurriedly inside a confined space such as a bag or pocket, looking for an object that is out of sight.
Mathieu scrabbled in his coat pocket for a tissue while his nose was running.
scrabble + in [container] + for [object]
The old woman scrabbled through her handbag for her reading glasses before the bus came.
scrabble through [container]
Maja scrabbled around under the sofa cushions for the TV remote control.
In the dark hallway, Darius scrabbled along the wall, trying to locate the light switch.
文法句型
scrabble + for/in/through/around + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently followed by a prepositional phrase beginning with 'for' (the thing sought), 'in/through' (the container or space being searched), or 'around' (general movement). Commonly used in contexts where vision is not available (darkness, clutter, or urgency).
常見錯誤
2. to try urgently to get something that is limited in supply, often by acting fast
to try urgently to get something that is limited in supply, often by acting faster or more aggressively than other people.
Small local shops scrabbled for a share of the growing organic food market.
scrabble for [resource]
With only fifty tickets left, fans scrabbled to buy them online before the website crashed.
scrabble + to-infinitive
After the factory closed, workers scrabbled to find new jobs in other towns.
Families scrabbled for seats in the crowded waiting room of the clinic.
文法句型
scrabble + for + noun phrase
scrabble + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1 (GROPE FOR), this sense does not involve physical searching by touch. Instead, it describes a competitive rush for limited resources. The subject is often a group of people or organisations, not an individual acting alone.
常見錯誤
3. to climb or move quickly and a bit carelessly over a rough or steep surface, usi
to climb or move quickly and a bit carelessly over a rough or steep surface, using your hands and feet for support.
The children scrabbled up the rocky hillside to reach the old watchtower before sunset.
scrabble up [surface]
Hamza scrabbled over the garden wall when he heard his brother calling.
scrabble over [obstacle]
The neighbour's cat scrabbled up the tree, trying to reach a bird on a high branch.
Naoko scrabbled down the muddy bank to pull the small boat back onto the shore.
文法句型
scrabble + up/over/down/along + noun phrase
用法筆記
The surface is typically uneven, steep, or slippery — walls, slopes, banks, or trees. The direction is always specified (up, over, down, along). Distinguished from sense 4 (CLUMSY STRUGGLE) by the clear goal of reaching or crossing a location, rather than a general desperate movement.
4. to make clumsy or desperate movements with your hands, feet, or body, often scra
to make clumsy or desperate movements with your hands, feet, or body, often scratching or scraping against a surface, because you are trying to get free, reach something, or keep your balance.
The injured bird scrabbled against the ground, trying to lift itself back into the air.
scrabble against [surface]
Christopher scrabbled at the locked window, his fingernails scratching the old wooden frame.
scrabble at [something]
When the ladder tipped sideways, Zayd scrabbled wildly to find a foothold on the wall.
The dog scrabbled at the back door, eager to be let into the warm kitchen.
文法句型
scrabble + at/against + noun phrase
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (GROPE FOR): sense 1 is about fingers searching for an unseen object in a container or space. Sense 4 is broader — it involves more of the body, often against a hard surface, and the motion is clumsy or desperate rather than exploratory. Common in descriptions of animals or people in distress.
5. to write something quickly and without care, producing messy or hard-to-read han
to write something quickly and without care, producing messy or hard-to-read handwriting, usually because you are in a hurry.
Maeve scrabbled a quick note on a napkin before the train left the platform.
scrabble + noun phrase (note/message)
The journalist scrabbled down the minister's quotes in her notebook during the press conference.
scrabble down [information]
Quan scrabbled the delivery address on scrap paper and handed it to the courier.
Salma scrabbled a shopping list on a piece of paper while talking on the phone.
文法句型
scrabble + noun phrase (note/message/letter)
scrabble + down/out + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense is less common than 'scribble' or 'scrawl'. In modern British English it appears mainly in informal writing or narratives about hurried note-taking. The object is usually a short piece of writing (note, address, message), not a long document.