scrambling

Verb

scramble (third-person singular simple present scrambles, present participle scrambling, simple past and past participle scrambled)

1. (intransitive) To move hurriedly to a location, especially by using all limbs against a surface.
   • As half-time approached Fabregas had another chance to give Barcelona the lead. He collected an incisive Messi pass and this time beat Cech, who required Cole to scramble back and clear the ball off the line.2012 April 18, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 1 – 0 Barcelona”, in BBC Sport
2. (intransitive) To proceed to a location or an objective in a disorderly manner.
3. (transitive, usually including egg) To thoroughly combine and cook as a loose mass.
   • I scrambled some eggs with spinach and cheese.
4. (transitive) To process telecommunication signals to make them unintelligible to an unauthorized listener.

   Synonyms:

   garble

5. (broadly, transitive) To mix up, to confuse, to mislead.
   • I don't understand this at all. First, Paige made out with me in the art room, but then she wouldn't hold my hand even though she's the one who came up with the hand-holding rule in the first place, months ago. / Ahh, tale as old as time, beautiful vixen using her wiles to scramble your brains.2018, Robia Rashid, “Penguin Cam and Chill” (8:07 from the start), in Ryan Case, director, Atypical, season 2, episode 2, spoken by Sam and Zahid (Keir Gilchrist and Nik Dodani), via Netflix
6. (also, broadly, transitive) To quickly deploy (vehicles, usually aircraft) to a destination in response to an alert, usually to intercept an attacking enemy.
   • But on April 13 it 'scrambled' a rake of Mk 2s and dual-braked 'Black 5' 45212 to start its lucrative summer money-spinner two days later.2024 May 1, “Network News: West Coast Railways runs 'Jacobite' with Mk 1 and Mk 2 combination”, in RAIL, number 1008, page 9

See all 23 meanings of scramble