bunch

1 of 2

noun

ˈbənch 

1

: protuberance, swelling

2

a

: a number of things of the same kind

a bunch of grapes

b

: group sense 2a

a bunch of friends

c

: a considerable amount : lot

a bunch of money

bunchily

ˈbən-chə-lē 

adverb

bunchy

ˈbən-chē 

adjective

bunch

2 of 2

verb

bunched; bunching; bunches

intransitive verb

1

: swell, protrude

2

: to form a group or cluster

—often used with up

transitive verb

: to form into a bunch

Synonyms

Noun

• body
• circle
• clan
• clique
• community
• coterie
• coven
• crowd
• fold
• galère
• gang
• klatch
• klatsch
• lot
• network
• pack
• ring
• set

Verb

• bag
• balloon
• beetle
• belly
• billow
• bulge
• jut
• overhang
• poke
• pooch [chiefly dialect]
• pouch
• pout
• project
• protrude
• stand out
• start
• stick out
• swell

Examples of bunch in a Sentence

Noun

He always had a bunch of keys on his belt.

Dried herbs hung in bunches from the kitchen rafters.

Verb

The child's tights bunched at the ankles.

the dress bunches a bit at the waist

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Brad Pitt is zooming around in a race car, a new karate kid makes his debut (with help from the old one), a bunch of rampaging dinosaurs return, and Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are acting freaky once more. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025

Williams, who owned a 2.12 ERA in four career starts against the Twins, struggled to throw strikes against a patient Twins bunch. —Dan Hayes, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025

Verb

What to Consider The matching pants feel a little long and bunched around our ankles. —Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2025

Golden State can’t afford to spiral at this point of the season, with the West bunched up atop the play-in picture. —Danny Emerman, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bunche

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing bunch

• thanks a bunch/lot/million
• the pick of the bunch

Rhymes for bunch

• brunch
• chinch
• crunch
• hunch
• lunch
• punch
• keypunch

Kids Definition

bunch

1 of 2 noun

ˈbənch 

1

: a number of things of the same kind

a bunch of grapes

2

: group entry 1 sense 1, collection

a bunch of friends

3

: a large amount : lot

a bunch of money

bunchy

ˈbən-chē 

adjective

bunch

2 of 2 verb

: to gather in a bunch