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Synonyms

bunch

American  
[buhnch] / bʌntʃ /

noun

  1. a connected group; cluster.

    a bunch of grapes.

    Synonyms:
    batch, lot
  2. a group of things.

    a bunch of papers.

    Synonyms:
    batch, lot
  3. Informal. a group of people.

    They're a fine bunch of students.

  4. a knob; lump; protuberance.


verb (used with object)

  1. to group together; make a bunch of.

verb (used without object)

  1. to gather into a cluster; gather together.

  2. (of fabric or clothing) to gather into folds (often followed byup ).

bunch British  
/ bʌntʃ /

noun

  1. a number of things growing, fastened, or grouped together

    a bunch of grapes

    a bunch of keys

  2. a collection; group

    a bunch of queries

  3. informal a group or company

    a bunch of boys

  4. archaic a protuberance

"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

verb

  1. (sometimes foll by up) to group or be grouped into a bunch

"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

Usage

What is a basic definition of bunch? A bunch is a group of things. Bunch can also specifically mean a group that is connected together. Used informally, a bunch is a group of people. As a verb, bunch means to gather into a group. A bunch is a collection or group of items gathered into one place. If you have a bunch of papers on your desk, for example, you have many papers on your desk.

  • Used in a sentence: Angela was happy to see that there were a bunch of presents under the Christmas tree. 
The word bunch also refers to things that are connected together. In this sense, the items that make up the bunch are tied together or have something that connects them to each other.
  • Real-life examples: You might eat from a bunch of grapes and be left with just the stem. A maintenance person usually carries a bunch of keys on a ring.
  • Used in a sentence: I bought a small bunch of bananas. 
Informally, a bunch is a group of people.
  • Used in a sentence: A bunch of kids ran past us to watch the clown perform magic tricks. 
Bunch can be used to mean to gather into a group or cluster.
  • Used in a sentence: I bunched all of the wrapping paper into a ball and threw it in the trash. 

Related Words

See bundle.

Other Word Forms

  • unbunched adjective

Etymology

Origin of bunch

1275–1325; Middle English bunche; of uncertain origin

Explanation

A group or cluster of something is a bunch. It could be a bunch of people or a bunch of grapes. If you pick a bunch of bananas, you might end up being followed by a bunch of monkeys. When you use the word bunch, you're generally talking about an approximate number of similar items, like a bunch of flowers or a bunch of cats or a bunch of your friends meeting for dinner. The verb bunch means "gather together," or "form into a bunch," the way you might bunch daisies together in a vase, or your socks might bunch down inside your boots.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Scotland's third try was the pick of the bunch, with replacement Scott plucking Meryl Smith's pinpoint kick from the air and effortlessly stepping Kayleigh Powell to put daylight between the scores.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

“We’re going to see a bunch of diseases get cured,” he said in an interview with Axios.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

“They swept in a bunch of truly innocent probation officers who were following directives and doing their jobs.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

“When it was Laquan McDonald, nobody had anything to say. I didn’t see a bunch of folks out there protesting with us,” he said.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

She wasn’t lying about Lisa-Marie Anne having a bunch of siblings.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller