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 Sheppard won’t have as scrunched a floor to run the offense. Fred Katz, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 The cast scrunched out easily, leaving curls soft and natural-looking. Malia Griggs, Glamour, 30 Sep. 2025 Kavya tugs on my arm, her nose is scrunched up, eyebrows discombobulated. Navdeep Singh Dhillon, Parents, 21 Aug. 2025 An image of his little face, scrunched in discomfort, but no sound coming from his little mouth, was instantly clear. Zoë Jones, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2025 GloRilla tapped into a too-cool-for-school uniform aesthetic at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, styling plaid with black peep-toe platform shoes and scrunched white socks. Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrunched
Verb
  • Barkov crumpled to the ice during the team’s first full preseason practice after minor contact Thursday.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Meanwhile, these Bormiolo Rocco glasses designed by Ross Lovegrove look like someone crumpled a regular rocks glass in their hand like a bad first draft.
    Emily Johnson, Architectural Digest, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Bindi, who won season 21 of the reality dance show with partner Derek Hough, smiled with her arm around Robert, who crouched down next to his dancing partner, Witney Carson.
    Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Rather than playing her violin on her shoulder, the violinist crouched on a rug with Belaji, facing the instrument toward the floor.
    Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • One of his conclusions after all that government service was that Congress had scraped too much power away from the presidency after the fiasco of Vietnam and scandal of Watergate.
    Brian Bennett, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
  • However, blocking only prevents future content from being scraped.
    Alex Reisner, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The bill was eventually folded into an Appropriations bill and passed; the National Academies report came out in August 2025.
    Alana Semuels, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Finishes tolerably folded, right-side out.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Mike Lee of Utah, Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, withheld their votes and huddled with Thune at the back of the chamber.
    Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Senate Republicans huddled on Friday afternoon after Schumer’s floor speech but seemed to see no immediate path forward.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The Carolina Panthers gritted out a 13-6 win over the New York Jets on the road thanks to a two-interception day from Jaycee Horn, a turnover-free performance from the offense and a close-to-flawless day on special teams.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The old, wrinkled one looks up at Helm’s mountain, at the sky above its summit.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Best Amazon Prime Day Storage & Organization Deals Keep the closets neat, the drawers organized, the spices in alphabetical order, and the bedding from getting wrinkled with these genius storage and organization hacks.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In October alone, shoppers were attacked in a supermarket, a Spanish tourist was scratched by a cub at a heritage site, and a trail runner was forced to wrestle a bear in the woods before sprinting to safety.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Six Central and North American teams scratched, leaving Cuba to qualify.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Scrunched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrunched. Accessed 21 Nov. 2025.

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