1
as in crumpled
to create (as by crushing) an irregular mass of creases in
scrunched up the shirt and tossed it in the laundry
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scrunched
Louis' scrunched up face got an affectionate giggle out of his dad as the two sat side-by-side at the 80th anniversary of VE Day in 2025.
—
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Mind you, that was also by design — the west side of the stadium was roped off entirely, so that 50% of capacity was scrunched into one half of the building.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
Further inspection found a Mexican citizen scrunched into a makeshift, dry compartment in the gas tank that February day.
—Jim Radcliffe, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Reduce frizz, add shine, and offer your curls a soft, flexible hold with Bumble and Bumble's Curl Defining Styling Cream, which should be scrunched into wet hair from mid-shaft to ends before air drying or diffusing.
—Lily Wohlner, Allure, 25 Mar. 2026
James then scrunched his face into a sarcastic, close-eyed smile.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
This faux leather style features an elegant, rounded collar and scrunched sleeves that together create a bold, endlessly versatile piece that can be thrown over a dress and knee-high boots for an afternoon brunch, or paired with denim and sneakers for a day of exploring.
—Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2026
Dries Van Noten wrapped a denim trench coat in a colorful, tapestry-like belts, scrunched baggy jeans into shin-grazing boots and added a bomber-style collar to a denim blazer.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 11 Mar. 2026
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
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Mind you, that was also by design — the west side of the stadium was roped off entirely, so that 50% of capacity was scrunched into one half of the building.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
Further inspection found a Mexican citizen scrunched into a makeshift, dry compartment in the gas tank that February day.
—Jim Radcliffe, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Reduce frizz, add shine, and offer your curls a soft, flexible hold with Bumble and Bumble's Curl Defining Styling Cream, which should be scrunched into wet hair from mid-shaft to ends before air drying or diffusing.
—Lily Wohlner, Allure, 25 Mar. 2026
James then scrunched his face into a sarcastic, close-eyed smile.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
This faux leather style features an elegant, rounded collar and scrunched sleeves that together create a bold, endlessly versatile piece that can be thrown over a dress and knee-high boots for an afternoon brunch, or paired with denim and sneakers for a day of exploring.
—Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2026
Dries Van Noten wrapped a denim trench coat in a colorful, tapestry-like belts, scrunched baggy jeans into shin-grazing boots and added a bomber-style collar to a denim blazer.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 11 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrunched
Verb
-
When officials noticed, the person crumpled the page and, in front of everyone, swallowed it.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Some might view that as a bad thing, given that the Broncos’ run-game consistency crumpled after that Dobbins injury.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The crawl space opened, and a man entered, while another crouched just outside, wielding a knife.—
Shelly Kittleson,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
-
In the hospital foyer, the couple paused for selfies and crouched to speak with children in wheelchairs.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After Faber took a high-sticking penalty, Heiskanen zipped a shot from the slot that eluded Wallstedt's shoulder and scraped the top of the net.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Artificial intelligence has scraped the book’s copy and polished its own words to seem like a real, emotional appeal.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His xAI, now folded into his rocket company SpaceX, trails far behind OpenAI in usage.—
Deepa Seetharaman,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The Red Sox made a surprise playoff run last year, and then completely folded over the offseason.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Because the cameras were vertical, actors huddled closer together, and the crew paid extra attention to upper-body details like hair and makeup.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The opening act had started playing—a local band that never broke out, Sacagawea—but Russ and Cherry just huddled a little closer and kept talking.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But the Olympic debutant gritted her teeth and tried to forget about her throbbing, bruised knee.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Westlake graduate missed just one game earlier this season but gritted his way through an undisclosed injury.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
My skin is wrinkled and worn from age, reflecting years of experience and wisdom.—
David McGrath,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The last thing Louise saw before losing consciousness was this woman’s face, wrinkled in an unapologetic way, old, shamelessly old, defiantly so.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And scratched nonstick pans are a real concern for most home cooks.—
Jennifer Zyman,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In fact, Bump — who was drawn into the lineup after Tocchet scratched forward Matvei Michkov — scored a massive goal to get the Flyers on the board after falling behind 2-0.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrunched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrunched. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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