1
as in to crumple
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scrunch
Talayah Walker scrunched her eyebrows at the podium when Georgia Tech coach Karen Blair mentioned — in a complimentary way — that her star sophomore had committed only one turnover Sunday.
—
Stan Awtrey, AJC.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Comb and scrunch to distribute product evenly.
—Essence Wiley, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026
Late in the third quarter, Buzelis turned away from the basket and scrunched up his face in a grimace of disgust.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2026
Fatigue is just part of the deal this season with the schedule scrunched up because of the Olympics.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scrunch
Stan Awtrey, AJC.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Comb and scrunch to distribute product evenly.
—Essence Wiley, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026
Late in the third quarter, Buzelis turned away from the basket and scrunched up his face in a grimace of disgust.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2026
Fatigue is just part of the deal this season with the schedule scrunched up because of the Olympics.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scrunch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrunch
Verb
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The injury occurred on a breakaway in Dallas last Monday, leaving Moody crumpled on the floor and requiring a stretcher.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Boz just towers over her, is confident and assured as always, and Rachel is all crumpled up and just wants to get out of there.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At the other end of the pitch, Robert Lewandowski crouches down on his haunches, eyes looking everywhere and nowhere, their nothingness saying everything.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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When The Times connected with Reyes, she was crouched down backstage at the Lovinger Theatre at Lehman College in the Bronx.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There are, naturally, layers of deception to scrape away first.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Avery Sullivan, with whom Morris also plays in the country-rock band Fust, keeps loose time on drums, tapping the snare like someone setting down coffee mugs while Libby Rodenbough scrapes out a few melody lines on her fiddle and colors empty spaces with some ghostly tremolo.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Add remaining meringue in 3 batches, gently folding with a rubber spatula after each addition until only a few streaks of meringue remain (err on the side of undermixing to keep the cake batter billowy).—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
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Mindless chores like folding laundry or washing dishes are great for this.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This is where the conspiracy theories begin to grit their teeth.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
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Eye protection keeps grime and grit out of your eyes.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Avoid using abrasive tools, which can scratch the door’s surface and prevent a streak-free finish.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
5 Apr. 2026
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Schmitt scratched, Encarnacion gets first start First baseman Casey Schmitt was scratched from Friday’s starting lineup due to lower back tightness.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrunch. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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