6. distort, knot, deform, gnarl; contort, warp, twist, twist and turn, twirl, turn awry; twine, entwine, twill, serpentine, worm; writhe, convolve, misshape, wrench, wring, wrest; buckle, crumple, crook; grimace, pull or make a face, screw up one's face.
7. coerce, compel, impel, force, drive, put the screws on or to; threaten, bring pressure to bear, press, hold a gun to [s.o.'s] head or a knife to [s.o.'s] throat, twist [s.o.'s] arm; constrain, bully, impress, dragoon, oblige, obligate, necessitate.
8. extort, exact, levy, blackmail; extract, take, SI. shake down, SI. badger; squeeze, wrest, wring, wrench, SI. bleed.
9. Slang, cheat, defraud, take advantage of, victimize; con, gull, swindle, humbug, gyp, Inf. rip off, bilk, Inf. flam; Inf. stick, fleece, SI. do in, do out of, cozen, bunco, SI. clip, SI. take, SI. take for all one's worth.
scribble, v. 1. scratch, scrawl, scrabble; doodle, jot.
-n. 2. scrabble, scratch, scrawl, scribbling, illegible writing; poor handwriting, cacography, clumsy hand; hen tracks, hen scratches, chicken scratch, pothooks.
scribe¹, n. 1. penman, inscriber, copyist, copier, transcriber, scrivener; letterer, calligrapher, chirog-rapher; letter writer, pen, penner, Inf. pen-pusher, Inf. pencil-pusher, Inf. scribbler.
2. clerk, record clerk, recorder, notary, registrar, deputy registrar, Brit, articled clerk; stenographer, Inf. steno, stenotypist, court reporter; prothonotary, tachygrapher; amanuensis, secretary, recording secretary; logographer, annalist, chronicler, memorialist.
3. writer, author, essayist, poet, dramatist, playwright, novelist, short-story writer, Inf. hack, ghost writer; in-diter, wordsmith, reviser, technical writer, copy writer, compiler; newswriter, newspaperman, journalist, rewriter, rewrite man; columnist, SI. sob sister, reviewer, critic, editorial writer, editorialist.
scribe², v. mark, groove, scratch, score; incise, engrave, etch, enchase, carve, scrimshaw.
scrimmage, n. 1. struggle, scramble, scuffle, Inf. scrap, tangle, fray; fracas, rumpus, Inf. ruckus, brawl, affray, brouhaha, melee; dispute, quarrel, contention, run-in; encounter, battle, fight, engagement, conflict; row, free-for-all, Donnybrook, dustup.
2. practice, practice session, warm-up, scramble, match, play; pre-season game, non-league or non-conference game; exhibition game.
scrimp, v. 1. economize, conserve, save, be sparing or frugal; skimp, pinch pennies, tighten the purse strings, cut corners; be penurious, be parsimonious, be stingy or cheap, Inf. pinch a penny till it squeaks.
2. restrict, limit severely, dole, stint, pinch, cramp; reduce, curtail, straiten, cut down on, curb; grudge, begrudge, give reluctantly.
scrimpy, adj. scanty, meager, skimpy, scant, shy; lacking, wanting, deficient; shallow, superficial, insubstantial, depthless; sketchy, incomplete, inadequate, beggarly, insufficient; very little, paltry, poor, piddling, Inf. measly, mere; small, narrow, puny, slight, slender, brief, short; nominal, minute, negligible.
script, n. 1. handwriting, penmanship, style of writing, cursive writing, longhand, Inf. fist, Scot. hand of writ, chirography; calligraphy, good hand; cacography, bad hand, scribble, scrawl, scratch, henscratch.
2. book, playbook, manuscript, MS, text; scenario, continuity, scene book, scene plot, plot book; working script, shooting script; screenplay, teleplay; part, role, lines; libretto, score, prompt book.
scriptural, adj. evangelical, biblical, textual, literal, authoritative, divine, inspired, theopneustic; orthodox, accepted, sound, firm, authentic, canonical, approved, standard; revealed, revelational; apocalyptic,