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 Engulfed by waves of sorrow, her chin vibrates, her eyes scrunch into slits, the corners of her mouth turn down as though tugged by invisible weights. Judy Berman, Time, 28 Nov. 2025 Unlike a typical golden, her dog sports an underbite and scrunched nose, giving her a uniquely charming expression. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Nov. 2025 Sheppard won’t have as scrunched a floor to run the offense. Fred Katz, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 To re-create the style, Abramite recommends adding mousse to damp hair and blow-drying with a diffuser while scrunching for volume at the roots and expansion throughout. Marci Robin, Allure, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for scrunch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrunch
Verb
  • Take a piece of aluminum foil and crumple it into a loose ball.
    Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Graham had also been a key supporter of escalation closer to home, in Venezuela, whose government was also being crumpled by the White House into the shape of a singular terrorist network.
    Séamus Malekafzali, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • My first glimpse of a gorilla was brief, a large male on the path ahead, crouching, his fists pressed into the soil.
    Holden Frith, TheWeek, 9 Jan. 2026
  • As Rathbun and other officers retreated, Webster clenched both fists, crouched into a linebacker’s stance, and charged into Rathbun, knocking him to the ground.
    Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • There are 617 McDonald's restaurants in Ohio, according to the web scraping tool ScrapeHero.
    Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Use a fork to scrape out strands of squash and transfer them to a large bowl.
    C.W. Cameron, AJC.com, 11 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Many fold up easily, and some soft pens even come with carrying cases.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
  • At the Harm Reduction Coalition of Santa Cruz County’s mobile syringe clinic, a single lamp shines a bright circle over folding tables stacked with boxes of soap, toothpaste, electrolytes, syringes, condoms and Narcan — a drug that can reverse opioid overdoses.
    Albert Chern, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Grit gave weight to feeling; feeling gave purpose to grit.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Doechii continues to grit her teeth while declaring that the accolades she’s earned along the way were from hard work.
    Michael Saponara, Billboard, 30 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • If large stuck-on food chunks remain, carefully scrape them off with a razor blade, being mindful not to scratch the stovetop.
    Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Bright and spellbinding, glittering and dangerous, London Falling scratches every itch while unwinding this morbid mystery.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scrunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrunch. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on scrunch

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!