bunch up
1. To form or accumulate into a group, cluster, or mass or some kind. A noun or pronoun can be used between "bunch" and "up." It was so cold out that we all bunched up together for warmth. The blanket is still bunched up on that side—can you smooth it out? At any school dance, it's only a matter of time until the boys bunch up at the snack table.
2. To crumple something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "bunch" and "up." Don't bunch up your dress in your arms like that! My heart sank when I saw him bunch the note up and toss it on the ground. Don't just bunch up your papers and stuff them in your bag—put them in a folder or something, for crying out loud!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
bunch someone or something up
to pack or cluster things or people together. Bunch them up so you can squeeze them into the sack. Kelly bunched up the roses and put them in a vase.
bunch up
to pack together or cluster. Spread out. Don't bunch up!
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
bunch up
v.1. To move close together to form a tight group; cluster: The kids bunched up in a corner of the room, whispering to each other.
2. To pack some people or things together tightly: Bunch up the blankets and stuff them into the bag. I didn't like what I had written on the page, so I bunched it up and threw it out.
3. To come together or be more concentrated in one place: The cloth bunches up at the cuff of my shirt.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.