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
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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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The study team investigated 54 crouching burials that had previously been found at 11 archaeological sites.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
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The animatronic Death Eater crouching on a bookshelf casts a spell, then Dolores Umbridge appears on a screen, then a rhinoceros-like Erumpent tries to gore the riders with its horn.—
Bianca Bosker,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To add details, etch swooping lines around the holes by scraping away the pumpkin's outer skin to create contrast.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Sep. 2025
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Two games into 2025, the league’s lowest-scoring team from last year is still scraping the bottom.—
Zac Jackson,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Items to bring include a flashlight with a red balloon over the lens and a folding chair.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Sep. 2025
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Stretch them over cylindrical vases, folding the edge over the rim and securing them with double-sided tape if needed.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The fourth quarter of Sunday’s early-window games featured one head-scratching special teams play and a game in which two teams traded consecutive return scores in a span of 12 seconds.—
Saad Yousuf,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
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Both are resistant to cracking and scratching, but Apple says the second-generation material is three times more resistant to scratching.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
12 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 17 Sep. 2025.
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