Word: clamber (verb)

Associations

"Clamber" means to climb something using both your hands and feet, often in a way that is a bit difficult or awkward.

• You clamber up a steep hill when hiking.
• Children clamber over playground equipment.
• Someone might clamber out of a window if the door is locked. A similar word is "climb," but "clamber" suggests more effort and sometimes a bit of struggle or awkwardness.

Substitution

You can use:

• climb – more general, can be easy or hard.
• scramble – similar to clamber, often means climbing quickly and with some difficulty.
• scale – usually means climbing something tall or steep, sometimes with skill. Using "climb" makes it sound easier; "scramble" and "clamber" both suggest more effort.

Deconstruction

"Clamber" comes from old English and may relate to the idea of grabbing or holding tightly. No clear prefix or suffix here; the whole word means to climb awkwardly or with effort.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time you had to clamber somewhere? What was hard about it?
• How is clambering different from climbing a ladder?
• Why do you think people use "clamber" instead of just "climb" in some situations?