1
as in crumpling
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
as in crouching
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scrunching
In the meantime, Atomi encourages people to try the supine core and toe-scrunching exercises at home.
—
Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
He could be seen scrunching his face in anticipation.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025
Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground and use your toes to grab and curl the towel toward you, scrunching it up several times before switching sides.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 26 Dec. 2025
To re-create the style, Abramite recommends adding mousse to damp hair and blow-drying with a diffuser while scrunching for volume at the roots and expansion throughout.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 9 Oct. 2025
And some ankle booties with wedge heels might appear moderate, but can actually throw your weight onto the balls of your feet, scrunching your toes up against the toe box.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2025
But on a multi-night getaway, scrunching a sweatshirt behind your head gets old fast.
—Emily Pennington, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Mar. 2025
Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
He could be seen scrunching his face in anticipation.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025
Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground and use your toes to grab and curl the towel toward you, scrunching it up several times before switching sides.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 26 Dec. 2025
To re-create the style, Abramite recommends adding mousse to damp hair and blow-drying with a diffuser while scrunching for volume at the roots and expansion throughout.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 9 Oct. 2025
And some ankle booties with wedge heels might appear moderate, but can actually throw your weight onto the balls of your feet, scrunching your toes up against the toe box.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2025
But on a multi-night getaway, scrunching a sweatshirt behind your head gets old fast.
—Emily Pennington, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrunching
Verb
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Moses Moody scored 23 points before crumpling to the floor with an apparently serious left knee injury late in overtime as the Golden State Warriors beat Dallas 137-131 on Monday night, extending the Mavericks' home losing streak to 12 games, their longest in 32 years.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Late on, with the game already won, James Garner and substitute Merlin Rohl chased Enzo Fernandez, sending him crumpling to the turf.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Over the years, there’s been some confusion about the value of crouching down like a baseball catcher to limit your own height.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
27 May 2026
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The video begins with a shoeless Kennedy, dressed in a button-down shirt, trousers, and a tie, approaching the snakes slowly, crouching down as the snakes slither into a corner of the patio.—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
27 May 2026
Verb
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This is an album in which harsh, scraping sounds make sweet vocal melodies sound even sweeter, where that kindness of spirit may flicker but never quite fades away.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
1 June 2026
-
Traditional screen-scraping automation is inherently fragile, breaking with every UI change or system patch, increasing risk and cost while limiting scale.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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In 1980 and ’81, Ghirri was lured to Amsterdam, invited by the Polaroid company to experiment with its 20×24 Land Camera, a monstrous version of the then-ubiquitous SX-70 folding model.—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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That’s because, unlike most folding smartphones, this one seems designed to look like a regular tablet when it’s opened.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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One of those 17 was a bullpen game — with Ober’s injury, the Twins currently have four starters on the roster — and in one game, the Twins had to press Woods Richardson into duty after scratching Rojas an hour before the game.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
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Equity versus debt Corporate bonds have been the hyperscalers’ main source of financing for the AI buildout so far, so the switch to equity has some analysts scratching their heads.—
Tobias Burns,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Some washers also use a shorter cycle to reduce the likelihood of wrinkling.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
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Nothing kills an outfit faster than a rigid denim waistband digging into your sides or linen trousers wrinkling at the first sign of sitting.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The director, a graduate of the AFI conservatory, spent two summers growing up gritting his teeth at an all-boys sleepaway sports camp.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Dec. 2025
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Bob Donnan / Imagn Images North Carolina and head coach Bill Belichick picked up a second straight ACC win on Saturday, gritting to a 20-15 victory over Stanford in Chapel Hill.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrunching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrunching. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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