Scrunched-up

Describing something that is crumpled or compressed into a smaller, often misshapen, form. It implies a gathering together of material, usually unintentionally, due to pressure, squeezing, or folding. This state can be permanent, or temporary. Often associated with paper, fabric, or facial expressions, 'scrunched-up' emphasizes the irregularity and lack of smoothness resulting from the applied force. The resulting appearance is frequently considered unattractive or disorganized.

Scrunched-up meaning with examples

• Little Timmy had a scrunched-up drawing in his hands after getting frustrated while drawing. He wadded it tightly into a ball, abandoning his artistic effort. The paper's previous smooth surface was completely lost. He tossed it into the trash, defeated. Now there were scrunched-up lines and wrinkles all over the page.
• After the rainstorm, the once pristine picnic blanket was a scrunched-up, muddy mess on the wet grass. The wind and water had gathered it, creating folds. The lovely pattern was marred by the harshness of the elements. They had to discard it as its fibers had absorbed the downpour.
• Her face was scrunched-up in a grimace as she bit into the sour lemon. Her eyes squinted, and her nose wrinkled. The intense tartness produced involuntary responses. Her cheeks were tight, and her lips pursed as she recoiled from the taste, with every muscle scrunched up.
• The cat, in the sudden attack of a sneeze, produced a scrunched-up face, showing extreme distress. Its little nose wrinkled, its whiskers twitched and its eyes closed against the onslaught. The brief spasm was over quickly, and the cat recovered its composure, however, it had a scrunched up state just then.