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
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 scrunching
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
Pooling at the wrists, scrunching at the ankles, dragging on the ground — chalk these fashion challenges up to just another day in the life of this 5-foot shopping writer.
—Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 8 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
Marci Robin, Allure, 9 Oct. 2025
Pooling at the wrists, scrunching at the ankles, dragging on the ground — chalk these fashion challenges up to just another day in the life of this 5-foot shopping writer.
—Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 8 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrunching
Verb
-
The sixth inning also featured a frightening moment when Cleveland’s David Fry, squaring around to bunt, took a 99 mph fastball from Skubal off his face, crumpling to the dirt as Skubal reacted with distress.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Singh’s truck blocked both lanes of the northbound Turnpike, leading the Chrysler Town & Country minivan the three friends were riding in to slam into the semi’s 18-wheeler trailer, crumpling underneath it.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Trosch also ruled the medical examiner who conducted the autopsy could testify about the findings, but would not be allowed to speculate on if Scott Brooks was in a crouching position when he was shot.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Oct. 2025
-
In the nearly two-minute preview, fans get a glimpse at how present her now-fiancé was behind the scenes, at one point crouching underneath the stage and grinning wide as the pop star bends down and kisses him on the cheek.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Beat until combined, scraping bowl as needed.—
Jenavieve Christensen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Earlier this week the company filed a lawsuit against a group of data-scraping companies for allegedly pilfering its content and selling it to Perplexity.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Officers recovered a folding knife near the outbound light rail platform, the affidavit said.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Built using a folding pattern called Miura-Ori, the robot can be swallowed as a compact object.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If that stretch wasn’t enough, Florida returned to another head-scratching theme — an inability to field 11 players — in the fourth quarter.—
Matt Baker,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Riley’s most head-scratching play call of the season appeared early in the fourth quarter, with rain steadily falling on Notre Dame Stadium.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Dokotoo Knit Turtleneck Sweater Chunky knits are typically more resistant to wrinkling, and this turtleneck is no exception.—
Genevieve Cepeda,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrunching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrunching. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share