scrunch
[skruhnch, skroo nch]
- to crunch, crush, or crumple.
- to contract; squeeze together: I had to scrunch my shoulders to get through the door.
- to squat or hunker (often followed by down).
- the act or sound of scrunching.
Origin of scrunch
First recorded in 1815–25; perhaps expressive variant of crunch
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for scrunch
Contemporary Examples
The goal should not be to terrify the bejesus out of the public, lest they scrunch their noses and give up.
Historical Examples
She does not want to listen or talk, she only wants to scrunch betel, and grunt.
Things as They AreAmy Wilson-Carmichael
"Scrunch 'em, sir," returned the other, setting his heel heavily on the floor.
The Cricket on the HearthCharles Dickens
She was roused by the scrunch of carriage wheels on the gravel drive.
The Green Carnation</p>Robert Smythe Hichens
There'd be one scrunch and then quite a long pause before the next.
IT and Other StoriesGouverneur Morris
At last the scrunch of a boot on the wet road struck his ear.
The House with the Green Shutters</p>George Douglas Brown
scrunch
- to crumple, crush, or crunch or to be crumpled, crushed, or crunched
- the act or sound of scrunching
Word Origin
C19: variant of crunch
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for scrunch
v.
1825, "to bite," intensive form of crunch (v.); ultimately imitative. Meaning "to squeeze" is recorded from 1835 (implied in scrunched). Related: Scrunching.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper