scramble
gb/skɹˈæmbəl/ us/skɹˈæmbəl/
A2
English
~ 8400
felkapaszkodik, kikászálódik, odarohan, tülekedik, verseng, rántottát készít, összekever, összezavar, titkosít, kódol, lekódol, riaszt, tülekedés, kapkodás, rántotta, tofurántotta, terepverseny
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to scramble to [do something] / to scramble [somewhere]
She scrambled up the muddy bank before the water reached her.
Felkapaszkodott a sáros partoldalon, mielőtt a víz elérte volna.
I scrambled out of bed when I realized I was late for work.
Kiugrottam az ágyból, amikor rájöttem, hogy el fogok késni a munkából.
The children scrambled over the rocks to get a better view.
He slipped, then scrambled back to his feet and kept running.
Reporters scrambled down the steps to catch the minister before he left.
Learner examples
The boy scrambled up the tree to get his kite.
A fiú felkapaszkodott a fára, hogy leszedje a sárkányát.
I scrambled to the door when the phone rang.
Az ajtóhoz rohantam, amikor megszólalt a telefon.
They scrambled over the wall to escape the dog.
She scrambled back to her seat when the teacher came in.
We scrambled down the hill as the rain started.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only 'run' or 'go' when the movement is difficult or involves hands and feet (for example on rocks or a steep hill). In these cases, 'scramble' or 'climb' is more natural. Also, some learners confuse 'scramble' with 'ramble' (which means to walk without a clear plan, not quickly or awkwardly).
Meaning
move or act quickly and awkwardly
Collocations
scramble up the hill
|scramble to his feet
|scramble out of bed
|scramble for the exit
|scramble over the rocks
|scramble back to safety
Synonyms
clamber (Focuses more on climbing with difficulty, especially on rocks or a steep surface; less about hurry.)
|
rush (Emphasizes speed but not the awkward, ungraceful movement that 'scramble' suggests.)
Antonyms
stroll (Describes slow, relaxed movement, the opposite of hurried, awkward scrambling.)
Themes
movement
|daily life
|emergencies
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To move or act very fast in a messy way, often using your hands to help you.
To move or act quickly and awkwardly, often using your hands as well as your feet, usually because you are in a hurry or on uneven ground.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
to scramble for [something]
Fans scrambled for the last few concert tickets.
A rajongók tülekedtek az utolsó néhány koncertjegyért.
Several companies are scrambling for a share of the growing market.
Több cég is verseng a növekvő piac egy szeletéért.
Children scrambled for the candy that fell on the floor.
Politicians are scrambling for support ahead of the election.
Reporters scrambled for a good position in front of the courthouse.
Learner examples
People scrambled for food after the store opened.
Miután kinyitott a bolt, az emberek tülekedtek az élelmiszerért.
Students scrambled for the best seats at the show.
A diákok tülekedtek a legjobb helyekért az előadáson.
The two teams scrambled for the ball.
Many small shops scramble for customers in this area.
Companies scramble for workers with good IT skills.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *'scramble with something'* instead of 'scramble for something' when they mean competing to get it. Use 'for' when you want the thing, and 'with' only if you want to emphasize who you are fighting against (e.g., 'scrambling with other buyers for tickets').
Meaning
compete in a confused rush
Collocations
scramble for tickets
|scramble for seats
|scramble for power
|scramble for control
|scramble for the ball
|scramble for funding
Synonyms
jostle (Suggests pushing others in a crowd; 'scramble' includes the idea of hurried competition, not only physical pushing.)
|
compete (More general and often orderly; 'scramble' suggests confusion and lack of order.)
Antonyms
share (Involves dividing something cooperatively instead of fighting to get it first.)
Themes
competition
|business
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To fight or compete in a fast and messy way to get something when there is not enough for everyone.
To compete or struggle with other people in a hurried, disorganized way in order to get something limited.
VERB
A2
3
Usage pattern:
to scramble [eggs]
Could you scramble a couple of eggs for me?
Készítenél nekem rántottát pár tojásból?
She scrambled the eggs with a little milk and butter.
Egy kis tejjel és vajjal készítette el a rántottát.
He quickly scrambled some eggs before leaving for work.
I like to scramble eggs with tomatoes and onions.
They scrambled the eggs until they were just set and still creamy.
Learner examples
I like to scramble eggs for breakfast.
Szeretek reggelire rántottát készíteni.
She scrambled two eggs in a small pan.
Két tojásból készített rántottát egy kis serpenyőben.
He scrambled eggs with cheese and ham.
My dad taught me how to scramble eggs.
We scrambled some eggs and made toast.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *'make eggs scramble'* instead of 'scramble eggs'. 'Scramble' is the verb and 'eggs' is the object: 'I scrambled three eggs.' Also, 'scrambled eggs' is usually plural in English; we normally say 'I had scrambled eggs', not *'I had a scrambled egg'*, unless you are talking about one specific egg.
Meaning
cook beaten eggs while stirring
Collocations
scramble eggs
|scramble some eggs
|scramble two eggs
|softly scramble the eggs
|scramble eggs with cheese
|scramble eggs for breakfast
Synonyms
cook (A very general word; 'scramble' is a specific way of cooking eggs.)
|
fry (Both use a pan, but 'scramble' includes beating and stirring the eggs.)
Antonyms
poach (A different way of cooking eggs in water without beating or stirring them.)
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
To beat eggs and cook them in a pan while you mix them, so they become soft and thick.
To cook eggs by beating them and then stirring them continuously in a pan while they thicken.
VERB
B2
4
összekever
A2
összezavar
B1
Usage pattern:
to scramble [something]
The puzzle scrambles the letters of common words.
A feladvány összekeveri a közismert szavak betűit.
The constant noise scrambled his thoughts.
Az állandó zaj összezavarta a gondolatait.
The order of the questions was scrambled for each student.
A software error scrambled the customer data.
The loud music completely scrambled my concentration.
Learner examples
The game scrambles the letters in the word.
A játék összekeveri a szó betűit.
The numbers were scrambled on the screen.
A számok összekeveredve jelentek meg a képernyőn.
The loud sound scrambled my thoughts.
The teacher scrambled the questions on the test.
The computer error scrambled the files.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only 'mix' when the idea is that something has become confusing or impossible to understand. 'Scramble' is better when the important idea is that the order is broken and hard to fix, especially for words, numbers, data, or thoughts.
Meaning
mix things into confusion
Collocations
scramble the letters
|scramble the order
|scramble the data
|scramble the message
|scramble your brain
|scramble the numbers
Synonyms
jumble (Emphasizes a random, messy mix; 'scramble' is similar but often used for information or thoughts.)
|
confuse (More general; 'scramble' suggests a more complete mixing that destroys clear order.)
Antonyms
organize (Means putting things into a clear, logical order instead of mixing them into confusion.)
Themes
communication
|technology
|thinking
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To mix or change things so much that they are not in the right order and are hard to understand.
To mix, change, or arrange things in a disordered way so that they become confused or difficult to understand.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
5
Usage pattern:
to scramble [a signal/communication]
The military scrambled the radio signal to protect sensitive information.
A hadsereg titkosította a rádiójelet, hogy megvédje az érzékeny információkat.
Paid channels scramble their broadcasts so only subscribers can view them.
A fizetős csatornák kódolják az adásaikat, hogy csak az előfizetők nézhessék őket.
The phone call was scrambled and could not be intercepted.
They use software to scramble video streams sent over the internet.
The transmission is scrambled to prevent piracy.
Learner examples
The TV company scrambled the sports channel.
A tévétársaság lekódolta a sportcsatornát.
The army scrambled all secret radio messages.
A hadsereg minden titkos rádióüzenetet titkosított.
This device can scramble and descramble phone calls.
The video was scrambled, so we could not watch it.
They scramble the signal before they send it.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse general 'coding' or 'compressing' data with 'scrambling'. 'Scramble' in this sense highlights making a signal or message hard or impossible to understand without the right key, not just changing its format.
Meaning
encrypt or distort a signal
Collocations
scramble the signal
|scramble communications
|scrambled transmission
|scrambled satellite feed
|scramble radio traffic
|scramble the channel
Synonyms
encrypt (A more formal and common technical word in IT and security; 'scramble' is slightly more general and informal.)
|
encode (Focuses on putting information into a coded form; 'scramble' emphasizes making it unintelligible to normal receivers.)
Antonyms
descramble (Specifically means to return a scrambled signal or message to its original, understandable form.)
Themes
technology
|security
|media
|communication
Definition
To change a radio, phone, or TV signal so people cannot understand it unless they have special tools.
To change a radio, phone, or video signal so that it cannot be understood without special equipment or a decoding key.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
6
riaszt
B2
Usage pattern:
to scramble [jets/aircraft]
The air force scrambled two fighter jets to intercept the unknown aircraft.
A légierő két vadászgépet riasztott az ismeretlen repülőgép elfogására.
Japan scrambled warplanes after detecting Chinese bombers near its airspace.
Japán harci repülőgépeket riasztott, miután kínai bombázókat észlelt a légtere közelében.
NATO forces scrambled aircraft in response to the alert.
Helicopters were scrambled to assist with the rescue operation.
The base scrambled jets within minutes of the alarm sounding.
Learner examples
The air force scrambled two jets.
A légierő két vadászgépet riasztott.
They scrambled planes when they saw a strange aircraft.
Repülőgépeket riasztottak, amikor egy azonosítatlan repülőgépet észleltek.
Helicopters were scrambled to help the ship.
The army scrambled warplanes after the warning.
The pilots were ready to scramble at any time.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this sense is about the planes moving in a messy way. In military English, 'scramble' focuses on how quickly the aircraft are ordered into the air, not on the quality of their flying.
Meaning
launch military aircraft quickly
Collocations
scramble fighter jets
|scramble warplanes
|scramble aircraft
|scramble helicopters
|scramble the air force
|scramble planes
Synonyms
deploy (More general for sending forces into action; 'scramble' focuses on the sudden and urgent takeoff of aircraft.)
|
launch (A broader term for sending something into the air; 'scramble' implies speed and military urgency.)
Antonyms
ground (Means to keep aircraft on the ground, often for safety, which is the opposite of scrambling them into the air.)
Themes
military
|security
|transport
|politics
|transportation
Definition
To tell military planes to leave the ground very fast because there may be danger.
To order military aircraft, especially fighter jets, to take off very quickly in response to a possible threat.
NOUN
B2
7
There was a mad scramble for the exits when the alarm went off.
Amikor megszólalt a riasztó, őrült tülekedés támadt a kijáratok felé.
We made a desperate scramble to finish the report before the deadline.
Kétségbeesett kapkodásban próbáltuk befejezni a jelentést a határidő előtt.
In the scramble for seats, someone dropped their bag.
The announcement sparked a scramble for the remaining tickets.
He lost his phone in the scramble to get on the train.
Learner examples
There was a big scramble for food after the truck arrived.
Nagy tülekedés támadt az ételért, miután megérkezett a teherautó.
In the scramble for the bus, I dropped my ticket.
A buszra való tülekedésben elejtettem a jegyemet.
We had a last-minute scramble to finish the project.
Everyone made a scramble for the door when the bell rang.
He was hurt in the scramble for the ball.
Common mistake:
Some learners use 'scramble' only as a verb and say *'there was scrambling for the door'* where native speakers more often say 'there was a scramble for the door'. Use the noun with an article in these cases.
Meaning
hurried, confused rush or struggle
Collocations
a mad scramble
|a desperate scramble
|a last-minute scramble
|a scramble for tickets
|a scramble for safety
|in the scramble
Synonyms
rush (More general; 'scramble' suggests more confusion and lack of order.)
|
stampede (Stronger and more violent; 'scramble' can be less extreme.)
Antonyms
orderly queue (Describes calm, organized waiting, the opposite of a confused scramble.)
Themes
daily life
|competition
|emergencies
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A fast and messy rush or fight, when many people try to move or get something at the same time.
A hurried and confused rush or struggle, often with many people trying to move somewhere or get something at the same time.
NOUN
B2
8
rántotta
A2
tofurántotta
B2
I ordered the vegetable scramble with toast.
Zöldséges rántottát rendeltem pirítóssal.
The brunch menu includes a tofu scramble for vegans.
A brunchmenüben vegánoknak való tofurántotta is szerepel.
She made a quick breakfast scramble with eggs and leftover potatoes.
This sausage scramble is one of the most popular dishes here.
We shared a big skillet scramble for two.
Learner examples
He cooked a potato and egg scramble.
Krumplis-tojásos rántottát készített.
I had a tofu scramble for breakfast.
Tofurántottát ettem reggelire.
They shared a large breakfast scramble.
She made a simple scramble with eggs and vegetables.
The menu offers a meat scramble and a veggie scramble.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'scramble' in food contexts always means 'scrambled eggs'. In menus, a 'scramble' can be a larger dish with mixed ingredients, where eggs are just one part.
Meaning
fried mixed dish, often with eggs
Collocations
breakfast scramble
|veggie scramble
|tofu scramble
|egg scramble
|potato scramble
|sausage scramble
Synonyms
hash (A similar pan-fried mixture, often of potatoes and meat; 'scramble' more often includes eggs.)
Antonyms
separate course (Serves different foods separately instead of mixing them in one pan.)
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
Definition
A hot dish made by cooking and mixing small pieces of food, usually with eggs, in a pan.
A cooked dish made by frying and mixing small pieces of food, often including eggs, vegetables, or meat, together in a pan.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
9
terepverseny
B2
He injured his wrist during a motorcycle scramble last weekend.
Múlt hétvégén egy motoros terepversenyen megsérült a csuklója.
The club is organizing a charity scramble in the hills above the town.
A klub jótékonysági terepversenyt szervez a város fölötti dombokon.
Dozens of riders took part in the off-road scramble despite the rain.
She trained for months before entering her first mountain-bike scramble.
The annual scramble attracts competitors from all over the region.
Learner examples
He joined a motorcycle scramble in the countryside.
Vidéken részt vett egy motoros terepversenyen.
They watched a bike scramble on the hill.
A domboldalon néztek egy kerékpáros terepversenyt.
The club holds a big scramble every summer.
I want to race in an off-road scramble next year.
Many riders came to the mountain scramble.
Common mistake:
Outside of British or motor-sport contexts, many speakers will not know this sense. Learners should not assume 'scramble' alone will always be understood as an off-road race.
Meaning
off-road motorcycle or bicycle race
Collocations
motorcycle scramble
|off-road scramble
|hill scramble
|enduro scramble
|motocross scramble
|weekend scramble
Synonyms
motocross race (A very similar off-road motorcycle race; in some places 'scramble' is an older or more general term.)
Antonyms
road race (A race held on paved roads instead of rough natural ground.)
Themes
sports
|leisure
|transport
|transportation
Definition
A race with motorbikes or bicycles on rough land with hills and mud, not on a normal road or track.
A motorcycle or bicycle race held over rough natural ground, with hills, mud, and other obstacles.
Grammar
Dictionary form
scramble
IPA
GB/skɹˈæmbəl/
US/skɹˈæmbəl/
Syllables & stress
scramble (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (scramble)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: scramble
- Plural: scrambles
Verb
- Base: scramble
- 3rd Person Singular: scrambles
- Present Participle: scrambling
- Past: scrambled
Word family
Forms
scrambles
noun
scrambling
verb
scrambled
verb
Related words
scrambler
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unscramble
verb
Expressions
breakfast scramble
1/bɹˈɛkfəst skɹˈæmbəl/
fixed phrase
mixed fried breakfast dish
A hot breakfast dish made by cooking and mixing foods like eggs, potatoes, and meat together in a pan.
Examples
- The breakfast scramble at this café is huge.
- We shared a veggie breakfast scramble with coffee.
scramble for
1/skɹˈæmbəl fɚ/
phrasal verb
compete in a confused rush
To fight or compete in a fast and messy way to get something when there is not enough for everyone.
Examples
- Shoppers scrambled for the best deals on Black Friday.
- Students scrambled for places in the most popular class.
scramble to
1/skɹˈæmbəl tə/
fixed phrase
hurry in a messy way to do
To move or work very fast and in a messy way because you need to do something quickly.
Examples
- We had to scramble to finish the project on time.
- Journalists scrambled to get information about the accident.
scramble up
1/skɹˈæmbəl ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
climb up quickly and awkwardly
To climb up something fast in a messy way, using your hands and feet.
Examples
- They scrambled up the steep slope before it got dark.
- The child scrambled up the ladder to the tree house.
scrambled eggs
1/skɹˈæmbəld ˈɛɡz/
fixed phrase
eggs cooked while being stirred
Eggs that are beaten and cooked in a pan while you mix them, so they become soft and thick.
Examples
- I usually have scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast.
- She made scrambled eggs with cheese and herbs.