Squinch

//skwɪnt͡ʃ// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A structure constructed between two adjacent walls to aid in the transition from a polygonal to a circular structure, as when a dome is constructed on top of a square room.
  2. 2
    a small arch built across the interior angle of two walls (usually to support a spire) wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To scrunch up (one's face, etc.). transitive

    "The president squinched his face and bit his lip and seemed too antsy to stand still."

  2. 2
    cross one's eyes as if in strabismus wordnet
  3. 3
    draw back, as with fear or pain wordnet
  4. 4
    crouch down wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
blanchblenchcastcringecross eyedeform

Example

More examples

"The president squinched his face and bit his lip and seemed too antsy to stand still."

Etymology

Etymology 1

Alteration of earlier scunch (“back part of the side of an opening”), short for scuncheon.

Etymology 2

Uncertain. Probably blend of squint + pinch. Compare squink-eyed, variant of squint-eyed, so perhaps it is at least partly an altered form of squint.

Related phrases

scrunch up

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.