scrunches

present tense third-person singular of scrunch
1
2
as in crouches
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 scrapes
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 scrunches The clear formula is lightweight but substantial enough to create a cast that scrunches out softly, leaving hair touchable instead of stiff. Malia Griggs, Glamour, 30 Sep. 2025 Hiddleston scrunches his eyes a bit at the statement. Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 22 Aug. 2025 Her nose scrunches up like something smells bad in here. Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrunches
Verb
  • This time around, while Chambers remains turned away, Teasdale crouches with an unsettling smile and long fingernails, conjuring a skin-crawling suspense.
    Sophie Williams, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025
  • This is all before Raleigh crouches behind the plate for roughly three hours, calling 150 pitches a night and manning a 13-person pitching staff’s stuff, repertoire, and personality.
    Brittany Ghiroli, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Nobody catches it for week, until someone scrapes customer addresses and posts them online.
    Daniel Fusch, Ascend Agency, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Injuries can occur when the person scrapes over the rocks.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The portside terrace also folds out.
    Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The new rendition also folds in lush strings that help tie it to the album’s symphonic approach.
    Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Each year, Google crunches the numbers to identify the items that were highly searched, newly searched, or trending for a period of time from May to September.
    Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Nguyen Nik Bonitto shoves the Jets' left tackle back into Justin Fields and Zach Allen crunches him from the interior on that third-down floater.
    Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Scrunches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrunches. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

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