scrunched

past tense of scrunch
1
2
as in crouched
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 scraped
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 scrunched Sitting at the defendant’s table, Flynn scrunched up his face and appeared to be crying as the 911 call was played aloud. — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026 Sheer tees scrunched and stretched in awkward ways at Brandon Maxwell. — Alison Syrett Cleary, InStyle, 16 Sep. 2026 The bottle is scrunched up, but the distinctive logo from the ABC series remains. — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2026 As the players headed to their benches and the officials took their customary walks to the scorer’s table for the time out, Atkinson scrunched his face, stuck out his hands, and mockingly clapped toward Blair — who ignored the obvious taunt. — Joe Vardon, New York Times, 11 May 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrunched
Verb
  • Onlookers and policemen rushed to the balloon’s basket to find the three men lying crumpled on the ground.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Later, when the water receded, Fulcher and McKay pried open the Trotters’ crumpled trailer.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Madelyn Cline crouched on the floor to chat with a seated Quen Blackwell, while nearby, Zoe Saldaña and Katie Couric were deep in conversation.
    — Kelsey Stewart, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Beanie took them in her mouth and carried them one by one up the ramp to where Lyndon Johnson crouched in a tunnel.
    — Madeline ffitch, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Fawcett scraped together donations and runs the pantry without pay.
    — Rachel Siegel, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The system was developed using more than four decades of Sun West mortgage decisions rather than relying primarily on information scraped from the public internet.
    — Ethan Stone, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Other houses, shops, storage buildings, and commercial properties were folded into his activities as needs arose.
    — Julian Rose, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
  • In a pouch-cell demonstration, the battery continued powering an LED even after being folded and cut.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The morning was to turn horribly wrong for the men huddled together.
    — Ron Farina, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Filling them with black smoke, with rubble and shattered glass, with frantic firefighters, with civilians huddled at the police line, necks craned.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Grated or gritted cornbread is a late-summer Appalachian tradition.
    — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 30 July 2026
  • Both of these teams are elite and gritted through losses in the College World Series to get to these finals.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • All items arrived clean (professional cleaning is included in your BNTO box subscription) and showed no wear and tear, though they were wrinkled from shipping and needed a good steam before wearing.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The same men worked in the lobby—a little fatter, a little more wrinkled and gray.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • That cute little feral furball was mean as hell and bit, scratched, and ultimately abandoned the family.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Anyone who is bit or scratched should immediately seek medical attention and report the attack to police.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Scrunched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrunched. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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