hunches 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of hunch
as in crouches
to lie low with the limbs close to the body he hunched next to a bush to avoid being seen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

hunches

2 of 2

noun

plural of hunch
1
as in theories

Related Words
2
as in humps

Related Words
3
as in notions

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 hunches
Verb
Deep into the opening-night party at the Middleburg Film Festival, Joel Edgerton hunches over a cocktail table, flipping through the event’s official program. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2025 Amid hunting for clues on the case, Tom hunches over his desk, lazily shoveling sausage-and-onion sandwiches into his mouth. — EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hunches
  1. crouches
  2. theories
  3. humps
  4. notions
  5. huddles
  6. guesses
  7. tumors
  8. ideas
Verb
  • Sometimes a less reliable dog will smell in this manner the hot body scent of venison as a trembling doe crouches close in the brush upwind.
    — Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 15 July 2026
  • Johansen, sporting an all-black outfit, crouches down next to him and sweetly rests her head on his shoulder.
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
Definition of crouches
Noun
  • Forget all the theories and commentaries, Homer seems to say.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
  • Yet the president often relies on theories that independent reviews long ago discredited.
    — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Definition of theories
Noun
  • In fact, while sand traps aren’t overabundant, elevation changes, natural grass humps and, yes, some sand does challenge you most every hole.
    — Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 18 June 2026
  • Her office released a report last month critical of the design and placement of speed humps and bumps.
    — Joe Holden, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of humps
Noun
  • In conversations with her volunteers and the general public, Mia could spot people’s paltry, ahistorical notions of what a robust monarch population was supposed to be.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
  • Instead, the designer suggests skipping the preconceived notions and finding a natural stone that uniquely appeals to you rather than feeling tied to just one type of quartzite.
    — Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2026
Definition of notions
Verb
  • An engineer overhears a sales call where a partner is requesting a specific feature and immediately huddles with the salesperson once the line clicks shut.
    — Vikram Joshi, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
  • The boiler is broken, so Kuhner huddles by a small space heater in his office in the winter.
    — Emma Green, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of huddles
Noun
  • These are our best guesses as to where life might exist elsewhere in the universe.
    — Elijah Tan, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 July 2026
  • Simple words with a sibling or housemate work better than guesses.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2026
Definition of guesses
Noun
  • Pituitary problems may come from damage, dysfunction, or tumors (which are often noncancerous).
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026
  • Deploying ultrasound to guide genes into certain tissues is an old idea — researchers have explored using it to deliver chemotherapy into tumors — but it is generally seen as not powerful enough to do this kind of work.
    — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 17 July 2026
Definition of tumors
Noun
  • Nolan doesn’t exactly share his hero’s reticence; one of his signature tactics as a writer is to place blocky, boldface ideas in furious opposition.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • For all their forward charge, his films center narratives that turn around ideas or past incidents kept at least partially hidden until the very end.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of ideas

Browse Nearby Words

hunched
hunches
hunching
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hunches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hunches. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on hunches

Nglish: Translation of hunches for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dog days

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All