HUNCH Synonyms: 114 Similar and Opposite Words

hunch 1 of 2

verb

ˈhənch

Definition of hunch

as in to crouch

to lie low with the limbs close to the body he hunched next to a bush to avoid being seen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

hunch

2 of 2

noun

as in theory

Related Words

as in hump

Related Words

as in idea

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 hunch

Verb

In the director’s tent, Lee sat next to his script supervisor, hunched over a boxy monitor that had long blinders attached to keep out the light. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Another clip shows an officer arriving at the scene, where Garces Perez is seen sitting hunched over in the driver's seat of his vehicle and appearing to grab his left shoulder in pain. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Noun

That hunch is further supported by its answer, STUMBLING BLOCKS. — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026 Give him a government database or a spreadsheet with millions of rows, and Maines could find the nugget — the pattern that suggested something amiss, the anomaly hidden in ordinary transactions, the numbers that turned a hunch into proof. — Sally Kestin, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hunch

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hunch

Verb

The beaming toddler could be seen crouching over a large pumpkin outside while wearing a navy blue rain jacket, blue jeans that were cuffed at the bottom, and a pair of orange boots.

— Lara Walsh, InStyle, 3 Nov. 2026
Video shows that intrepid fan crouched behind the defensive line and then batted down the pass from Davidson.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of crouch

Noun

There are books about quilts and Medieval tablescapes and cultural theories about taste and magazines and something on ikebana and a DVD of Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan.

— David Michon, Curbed, 11 Nov. 2026
Christina Applegate has an unconfirmed theory about the symptoms that caused her to be misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

— Deborah Day, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of theory

Noun

Members of the Democratic and Republican parties say the country and political system are better off when candidates and their ideas are tested.

— Karen Tumulty, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
The modular laptop display system is not an entirely new idea, and there are some existing products on the market that offer detachable portable screens.

— Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of idea

Verb

Najera, Iverson and Martin were on the floor together, and Iverson huddled them to plead for intensity.

— Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2026
And soon Simmons found himself behind the bench, with a mass of Bears fans huddled near midfield in seats that the Seahawks faithful had vacated.

— Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of huddle

Noun

According to Jones, the main reason for that growth has simply been getting the team healthy.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Nov. 2026
Nvidia has had an advantage from the start and as soon as a competitor releases something just as good, Nvidia has put out the next better chip, said Jay Aldebert, chief growth officer of International Services Inc.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Nov. 2026

Definition of growth

Noun

Some progressive members of the Illinois delegation pushed back on the notion that the results of the midterms were more of a rejection of Trump than an embrace of Democrats and their policies.

— Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
That brought closer to reality the once-unthinkable notion that the ANC that led South Africa out of the white minority rule of apartheid and delivered freedom in 1994 under Mandela might one day not be its biggest party.

— Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of notion

Browse Nearby Words

humuses

hunch

hunched

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Hunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hunch. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of hunch

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

lissome

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes