bunch

1 of 3

noun

ˈbənch How to pronounce bunch (audio)
Synonyms of bunchnext
1
: protuberance, swelling
2
a
: a number of things of the same kind
a bunch of grapes
b
: group sense 1
a bunch of friends
c
: a considerable amount : lot
a bunch of money
bunchily
ˈbən-chə-lē How to pronounce bunch (audio)
adverb
bunchy
ˈbən-chē How to pronounce bunch (audio)
adjective

bunch

2 of 3

verb

bunched; bunching; bunches

intransitive verb

1
: swell, protrude
2
: to form a group or cluster
—often used with up

transitive verb

: to form into a bunch

bunchy

3 of 3

adjective

ˈbən-chē How to pronounce bunchy (audio)
-er/-est
1
a
: protruding or swelling out in a bunch or in bunches : showing protuberances
women in bunchy cotton dresses—Nadine Gordimer
a round bunchy face—Mary Carter Roberts
b
: growing in bunches : resembling a bunch : marked by tufts
the scanty and bunchy nature of the grass cover—G. R. Stewart
2
of a mine or a vein : yielding irregularly: here rich, there poor
a bunchy vein of silver

Synonyms of bunch

Relevance

Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of bunch in a Sentence

Noun He always had a bunch of keys on his belt. Dried herbs hung in bunches from the kitchen rafters. Verb The child's tights bunched at the ankles. the dress bunches a bit at the waist
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
And the hottest of the bunch, the green, is a fiery combination of both jalapeños and green habaneros. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 Instead, the system simply makes a bunch of copies to increase the probability that some of them will end up in each of the offspring. — ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
Verb
This helps relax the fabric and keeps it from bunching up as much. — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 26 June 2026 Shoppers note that the shorts are roomy and don’t bunch up, and that the elastic waistband is forgiving even while bloated. — Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for bunch

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English bunche

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of bunch was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing bunch

Rhymes for bunch

See All Rhymes for bunch

Browse Nearby Words

bunce
bunch
bunch bean
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bunch. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

bunch

1 of 2 noun
ˈbənch How to pronounce bunch (audio)
1
: a number of things of the same kind
a bunch of grapes
2
: group entry 1 sense 1, collection
a bunch of friends
3
: a large amount : lot
a bunch of money
bunchy
ˈbən-chē How to pronounce bunch (audio)
adjective

bunch

2 of 2 verb
: to gather in a bunch

More from Merriam-Webster on bunch

Nglish: Translation of bunch for Spanish Speakers

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