bunched

verb

past tense of bunch
1
as in protruded
to extend outward beyond a usual point the dress bunches a bit at the waist

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in huddled
to gather into a closely packed group the slow service caused the customers at the pick-up counter to bunch up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bunched The rest of the property (including Kapano, Lelapo, and the amenities like the gym, spa, and kids clubhouse) is bunched closer together in one area. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026 The trio will be bunched together inside of a circle measuring only about 2½ degrees in diameter. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 1 Nov. 2026 The most critical of which came on fourth down, when Wisconsin went five wide, with four receivers bunched on one side. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026 Wisconsin came out in an unusual formation, with four wide receivers bunched toward the sideline. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026 Combed off her forehead and bunched at the back of her head, there’s something so diplomatic about Keri Russell‘s signature hairdo. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 Along the way, there are a smattering of sea days, typically bunched together in two- or three-day chunks. — Megan Dubois, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2026 He's shifted the entire orchestra closer to the front of the stage at David Geffen Hall and had their seats bunched closer together. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026 Harold’s men waded into water with their tunics bunched around their bare thighs. — John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bunched
  1. protruded
  2. huddled
  3. poked
  4. crowded
  5. bulged
  6. piled
  7. clustered
Verb
  • The semiaquatic predator’s eyes would have also protruded from the skull, similar to the Indian gharial, because the eye sockets were raised like a telescope, Burke added.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The stranger’s hollow cheeks, his dark eyes, whose lashes always appeared wet, the bony shoulders that protruded from the singlet Chee Meng had lent him—all of it frightened Shawn.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of protruded
Verb
  • After officials huddled, Verden was credited with a catch off a deflection but not the touchdown due to an inadvertent whistle.
    — Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Najera, Iverson and Martin were on the floor together, and Iverson huddled them to plead for intensity.
    — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of huddled
Verb
  • Reid returned but kept grabbing at his lower back, White returned after being poked in eye.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Kessler, standing nearby during Williams’ postgame news conference, poked his head out from behind a black curtain and gave his teammate a thumbs-up.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of poked
Verb
  • In a city crowded with glossy international properties, this is classic, composed and home-grown, with real cultural depth—one half looking confidently to the future, the other carefully honouring its design legacy.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Around a well, beneath a mulberry tree, or at a table crowded with food and strangers, the landscape that seemed so stark and inhospitable reveals an unexpected generosity, preserved in the rituals of those who continue to make the journey here.
    — Avantika Chaturvedi, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of crowded
Verb
  • By later in the day, the second lake had bulged — sparking fears of another lethal torrent.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • My husband Grant Wahl's bulged and burst, at an age when this disease usually means something inherited.
    — Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Definition of bulged
Verb
  • Las Vegas piled up 236 yards and scored four touchdowns after halftime, wasting the Jets’ season-high offensive output.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • As the money piled up, the relationships between the company’s early team—including Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, Jakub Pachocki, Mira Murati, and Dario and Daniela Amodei—began to fray.
    — Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of piled
Verb
  • Perched high on Sugarloaf Mountain, Grande Denali Lodge has one of the most dramatic settings of the hotels clustered around Denali’s entrance.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Nov. 2026
  • More rocks, less sand Recently, Crystal Cove State Park resembled a construction zone, with crews working around the clock to form large sand berms to protect historic wooden cottages clustered on sand between the ocean and highway.
    — Cindy Carcamo, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of clustered

Browse Nearby Words

bunch
bunched
bunches
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Cite this Entry

“Bunched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bunched. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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