scrunch

Definition of scrunchnext
1
2
as in to crouch
to lie low with the limbs close to the body the climbers scrunched down on the leeward side of a large boulder and waited for the storm to pass

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to scrape
to press or strike against or together so as to make a scraping sound scrunched loose gravel with every footstep

Synonyms & Similar 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 scrunch Louis' scrunched up face got an affectionate giggle out of his dad as the two sat side-by-side at the 80th anniversary of VE Day in 2025. Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026 Mind you, that was also by design — the west side of the stadium was roped off entirely, so that 50% of capacity was scrunched into one half of the building. Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026 Further inspection found a Mexican citizen scrunched into a makeshift, dry compartment in the gas tank that February day. Jim Radcliffe, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026 Reduce frizz, add shine, and offer your curls a soft, flexible hold with Bumble and Bumble's Curl Defining Styling Cream, which should be scrunched into wet hair from mid-shaft to ends before air drying or diffusing. Lily Wohlner, Allure, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scrunch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrunch
Verb
  • One of the victims fled to a McDonald's restaurant where his bloodstained clothes, which were likely cut off by paramedics, were crumpled on the floor near the entrance.
    CBS News, CBS News, 7 June 2026
  • Add a few drops of essential oil (peppermint works wonders) to paper towels, crumple them up, and tuck them inside your shoes.
    Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • Bystander video captured the sound of at least seven shots and showed people crouching and running for cover.
    Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 15 June 2026
  • Peters crouched down and used a little body language to try to coax the ball fair.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
Verb
  • Most of the site has been cleaned and scraped, while the work at a nearby synagogue that suffered severe damage is just beginning.
    Chierstin Roth, CBS News, 18 June 2026
  • Her older brother, 9-year-old Charlie, climbs across the nearby jungle gym at a Prairie Village playground as her younger brother, 3-year-old Will, scrapes a stick through the mulch.
    Anna Spoerre, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • Beneath the flat surface of the back seat hid the wondrous fold-up bench seats that, to my childhood mind, were a marvel of ingenuity.
    Judith Garrison, AJC.com, 16 June 2026
  • Sequence unraveled, and with it the onward rush, progression, the sense of one event coming after another; my understanding of cause and effect, of the chronological chopping-up of time both personal and historical—before and after, premodern and modern—all blurred, folded, unraveled out of reach.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • Then the coach known as the most impulsive man on an NFL sideline runs that stop sign, grits his teeth and breaks unbound into character.
    Michael Silver, New York Times, 16 June 2026
  • When my grandchildren were around recently, Marie was gritting her teeth because her nerves were so frayed.
    Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 7 June 2026
Verb
  • And these only scratch the surface of his accomplishments.
    PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 21 June 2026
  • Even young raccoons can bite or scratch when frightened, and wild animals can carry parasites and diseases, says Rakestraw.
    Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 20 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Scrunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrunch. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.

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