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
  • Acuña immediately crumpled to the ground, tried to get up to walk and quickly fell back on the grass to the right of home plate.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In a large sculpture, aluminum facsimile pages are crumpled on the floor, reflecting the way spacefaring nations have more or less ignored it.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • State police said the preliminary investigation by its homicide unit indicated that Moorhead had been crouched close to the ground in an open field, hunting, when Soto passed by with a man and two children.
    — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The left-handed batter took a 2-2 fastball just below the knees, crouched and shook his head.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Just 413 fans attended this Thursday afternoon makeup game against the White Sox, representing a wild decline for a team that almost scraped out a win in the World Series just two years before.
    — Michele Metych Britannica Editors Sep. 21, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Language models now write clean, fluent messages and can personalize them at scale using details scraped from social media.
    — Pawan Jain, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Thick fringe folded over the front of her face, mingling with her spider-leg lashes, which brushed the bottom of her brows.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026
  • In the time since the encampment organizers folded up their tents, the fight has moved from the quad to the classroom, from a protest anyone could see to a comment in a lecture or a line in a syllabus.
    — Jonathan Greenblatt, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Tight, familial church communities, huddled in isolated villages and small towns; people held in place; a striking lack of privacy and liberty.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Several teammates huddled outside the medical tent while Dart was inside, no doubt worried about the status of their starting quarterback.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 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
  • Softer interpretations of the trench were ruched, pouffed and purposefully wrinkled.
    — Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The formula contains mandelic acid (AHA) and Centella asiatica (CICA), which absorb deeply to boost skin cell turnover, helping skin look firmer and less wrinkled over time.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno won the NL batting title despite being scratched about an hour before first pitch with a sore hamstring.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Sure, plastic kitchenware can be cost-effective up front, but repeatedly replacing staples that have warped, scratched, or held onto lingering odors adds up over time.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Scrunched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrunched. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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