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
Relevance
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
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
Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrunching
Verb
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Singh was blocking both lanes of the northbound Turnpike when Dufresne’s Chrysler Town & Country minivan hit the truck, crumpling underneath the 18-wheeler’s trailer.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Joining the two this year is a 5-foot pussycat, which comes poised to pounce in a crouching position with adjustable glowing eyes.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
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In footage shared by the AP, the leopard was seen crouching on the ground next to the boy's vehicle before chasing the car and leaping at the window.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
People.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Some of those models make the curve tighter, bringing Bermuda into the path, and others give the storm a broader turn, potentially scraping as far as Puerto Rico.—
Alex Harris
Updated September 4,
Miami Herald,
4 Sep. 2025
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Authors are suing tech firms for scraping their books.—
Don Markland,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The video shows Brown seated behind the victim before pulling out a folding knife and stabbing her multiple times without provocation.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
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Wild Land also packages in a standard folding mini-table that can be used right inside the tent as a low dining table or laptop workstation in conjunction with the folding mat that doubles as a lounge seat, also included standard.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The cats kept them up each night with their incessant whining and scratching at their doors.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
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As a player just scratching the surface of his potential with so much still ahead of him, the coming months are critical to his hopes of landing an invite to Italy.—
Chris Johnston,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After a nutria was tossed fifteen or twenty times, snotlike entrails began to protrude from the bullet holes, at which point Miss Louisiana, wrinkling her nose, would place it in a trash bucket and select a fresh carcass from the cooler.—
Nathaniel Rich,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
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The 30-percent linen two-piece is breathable, comfortable, and resists wrinkling—ideal for flights and airport days.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrunching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrunching. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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