1
as in crumpled
to create (as by crushing) an irregular mass of creases in
scrunched up the shirt and tossed it in the laundry
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scrunched
The beauty of a great lightweight puffer is that it can be worn as an insert or an overcoat, and it can even be tightly scrunched up into a tiny ball to use as a makeshift travel pillow on the plane.
—
Michelle Tchea, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
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
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
Michelle Tchea, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
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
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
-
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
-
Then, after Barnes had dragged Newcastle level and the home side had built up attacking pressure, Thiaw crumpled under a challenge from Calvert-Lewin inside his own box, stuck out an arm and handled Jaka Bijol’s nod-down.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As the lead guide crouched down, an elephant walked around a bend in the river, maybe 30 metres ahead of us.—
Holden Frith,
TheWeek,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Matthews crouched with his back to the rest of the play, a step away from the goal line along the boards.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Except for that victory at the Etihad — Amad was in a position to cause such damage because Amorim played him in an unusual role infield, which City never got to grips with — those moments came when Amorim essentially tore up his system, went rogue, and United scraped their way over the line.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Hawk told investigators Cruz was upset with him because Hawk had scraped his vehicle, according to the probable cause statement.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
There was a blanket folded on the couch, and papers and books chaotically piled on a coffee table and a desk.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
15 Jan. 2026
-
To remedy this, Malone encourages people to keep only pajamas, workout attire, and underwear folded in drawers.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The opening days of the trial included dramatic replays of the initial emergency calls, testimony from teachers who huddled with terrified students, and the mother of one of the victims recounting how her daughter had asked to leave school early that day.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
-
At 77 — huddled inside A&R Studios, part of the historic Jim Henson studio lot that his bandmate John Mayer had recently purchased — those memories were still fresh.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Westlake graduate missed just one game earlier this season but gritted his way through an undisclosed injury.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Nov. 2025
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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
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The metallized effect leaves the pants looking—well—completely wrinkled.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
11 Jan. 2026
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Instead of throwing it out, use old or leftover tissue paper as packing material, in crafts, and to keep items from becoming wrinkled or tangled.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
26 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Mistakes to Avoid When Cleaning Chrome Chrome can easily be scratched or damaged if it’s not cleaned properly.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
14 Jan. 2026
-
On this occasion, at the beginning of a campaign that would end with Liverpool being crowned champions for the first time in 30 years, a veneer was scratched.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrunched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrunched. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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