scramble
UK: ˈskræmbl | US: ˈskræmbl
vi. to move quickly or clumsily, especially on hands and knees
vt. to mix or throw together in a disordered manner
n. a hurried or disorderly movement or struggle
The word "scramble" emerged in the late 16th century, originally describing frantic climbing or crawling (e.g., "scrambling up a hill"). The sense of disorderly mixing (e.g., "scrambled eggs") arose later, metaphorically extending the idea of chaotic movement to objects being jumbled together. The verb suffix "-ble" reinforces the sense of repetitive or energetic action, making the word vivid for both physical and abstract disorder.
The hikers had to scramble over the rocky terrain.
She scrambled the papers on her desk in frustration.
The children scrambled to pick up the scattered toys.
The soldiers scrambled to their positions during the drill.
He loves eating scrambled eggs for breakfast.