scrunches

Definition of scrunchesnext
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
  • My now-husband and I were newly a couple and still working out the kinks and crumples in an evolving relationship.
    Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Two hours later, the trainer — now in a foam Michelin-man neck-to-heel suit — crouches near the box, imitating a quiet intruder.
    Megan Sauer Tasia Jensen, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026
  • An officer then gets out of the vehicle, crouches down, and beckons to the dog, who had once again meandered to the center of the road.
    Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 14 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Kgasi makes his way down to one of the vertical surfaces of the pit and scrapes it gently.
    Ari Daniel, NPR, 4 Feb. 2026
  • With a palette knife, Callie Siskel scrapes at the raw face of elegy, revealing interior forms on a canvas where the poet’s father lives beyond death.
    Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 26 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Precise placement is possible using DNA origami, which folds DNA into nanoscale shapes to guide molecules into position.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Once the tent is deflated, the owner folds the floor back inside and closes the roof.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Each month, Edward Flores crunches the numbers.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
  • Energage administers an employee survey that covers 26 factors and then crunches the feedback data and scores companies based on the responses.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scrunches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrunches. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on scrunches

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!