scrunched; scrunching; scrunches
2
a
: to draw or squeeze together tightly
b
: crumple
—often used with up
c
: to cause (something, such as one's features) to draw together
—usually used with up
: a crunching sound
Synonyms
Examples of scrunch in a Sentence
Verb
I scrunched down in the chair.
I scrunched the fabric in my hand.
Recent Examples on the Web
Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2023
But this future-world action thriller about a war between humankind and artificial intelligence feels like a lot of movies scrunched together, most of them familiar.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Sep. 2023
Wear it around town or to the bar, then scrunch it up and put it in the central console of your car, a bag, or even a pocket of a pair of cargo shorts.
—Joel Balsam, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2023
The second photo featured a makeup-free selfie of Brown with her lips scrunched up.
—Gabi Thorne, Allure, 24 Oct. 2023
Horse manure plops onto the asphalt, and no one blinks or scrunches their nose.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2023
After spritzing it on, scrunch with your hands to separate your waves, texturize, and add body.
—Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2023
White bowed his head as the sound of the officers’ gunfire filled the courtroom, his face scrunched in a grimace.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2023
And, when Chris Brown — who was charged with felony assault for getting physically violent with then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009 — was announced as a nominee in the best R&B video category, Gomez was caught scrunching up her face in response, which also inspired another unintentional meme.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 19 Sep. 2023
Lindsay Geller, Women's Health, 7 Sep. 2023
A little bit of scrunch popping out from the bottom of a maxi skirt or dress adds a whole lot of effortless je ne sais quoi.
—Marykate Boylan, Town & Country, 22 Aug. 2023
In addition to the scrunch detail, the shoe brand also boasts a vast collection of options, ranging from different colors, materials, textures, and patterns, so there truly is a flat for everyone.
—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 28 July 2023
For those who love the scrunch ballet flat look, Sam Edelman has pretty much nailed this design with its collection of comfortable ballet flats.
—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 28 July 2023
The leggings have a butt-scrunch design meant to highlight your derriere, come in 94 colors including bright options and tie-dye varieties, and are available in sizes XS to 4XL.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2023
The brand’s banded scrunch bottoms—light enough for the August heat—and puff shoulder tops are ideal for a classy poolside look.
—Rosa Sanchez, Forbes, 30 Aug. 2021
The ultra-soft pants feature a wide ribbed waistband and a scrunch-butt design, similar to the ones on these Amazon leggings that went viral two years ago.
—Jennifer Chan, Peoplemag, 11 Oct. 2022
Spray on mid-length to ends and gently 'scrunch' product into hair—bouncy, shiny, frizz-free waves that last for three days!
—Jillian Ruffo, Harper's BAZAAR, 2 Sep. 2022
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Verb
Her mother would save those wrappers all year long and scrunch them into little balls to add in between the branches.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2023
But this future-world action thriller about a war between humankind and artificial intelligence feels like a lot of movies scrunched together, most of them familiar.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Sep. 2023
Wear it around town or to the bar, then scrunch it up and put it in the central console of your car, a bag, or even a pocket of a pair of cargo shorts.
—Joel Balsam, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2023
The second photo featured a makeup-free selfie of Brown with her lips scrunched up.
—Gabi Thorne, Allure, 24 Oct. 2023
Horse manure plops onto the asphalt, and no one blinks or scrunches their nose.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2023
After spritzing it on, scrunch with your hands to separate your waves, texturize, and add body.
—Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2023
White bowed his head as the sound of the officers’ gunfire filled the courtroom, his face scrunched in a grimace.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2023
And, when Chris Brown — who was charged with felony assault for getting physically violent with then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009 — was announced as a nominee in the best R&B video category, Gomez was caught scrunching up her face in response, which also inspired another unintentional meme.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 19 Sep. 2023
Noun
But the same compression material that gives leggings their scrunch, helps keep their shape, and enhances your performance by boosting blood flow to your lower body can have some not-so-flattering side effects.
—Lindsay Geller, Women's Health, 7 Sep. 2023
A little bit of scrunch popping out from the bottom of a maxi skirt or dress adds a whole lot of effortless je ne sais quoi.
—Marykate Boylan, Town & Country, 22 Aug. 2023
In addition to the scrunch detail, the shoe brand also boasts a vast collection of options, ranging from different colors, materials, textures, and patterns, so there truly is a flat for everyone.
—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 28 July 2023
For those who love the scrunch ballet flat look, Sam Edelman has pretty much nailed this design with its collection of comfortable ballet flats.
—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 28 July 2023
The leggings have a butt-scrunch design meant to highlight your derriere, come in 94 colors including bright options and tie-dye varieties, and are available in sizes XS to 4XL.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2023
The brand’s banded scrunch bottoms—light enough for the August heat—and puff shoulder tops are ideal for a classy poolside look.
—Rosa Sanchez, Forbes, 30 Aug. 2021
The ultra-soft pants feature a wide ribbed waistband and a scrunch-butt design, similar to the ones on these Amazon leggings that went viral two years ago.
—Jennifer Chan, Peoplemag, 11 Oct. 2022
Spray on mid-length to ends and gently 'scrunch' product into hair—bouncy, shiny, frizz-free waves that last for three days!
—Jillian Ruffo, Harper's BAZAAR, 2 Sep. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scrunch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
Verb
circa 1790, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
1857, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near scrunch
Cite this Entry
“Scrunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrunch. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
scrunch
verbˈskrənch
1
a
: crunch entry 1 sense 1, crush
scrunch a paper cup
b
: to make or move with a crunching sound
cinders scrunching underfoot
2
a
: to draw or squeeze together tightly
b
: crumple sense 1
scrunch up a piece of paper
c
: to cause (as one's facial features) to draw together
scrunched up his nose
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