hunches 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of hunch
as in crouches
to lie low with the limbs close to the body he hunched next to a bush to avoid being seen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

hunches

2 of 2

noun

plural of hunch
1
as in theories

Related Words
2
as in humps

Related Words
3
as in notions

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hunches
Verb
Sandra Ogbebor hunches over her softly humming refrigerator and scours through bottles before finally yanking out an orange juice. — Light Oriye Tamunotonye, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Sep. 2026 Deep into the opening-night party at the Middleburg Film Festival, Joel Edgerton hunches over a cocktail table, flipping through the event’s official program. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2025 Amid hunting for clues on the case, Tom hunches over his desk, lazily shoveling sausage-and-onion sandwiches into his mouth. — EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hunches
  1. crouches
  2. theories
  3. humps
  4. notions
  5. huddles
  6. guesses
  7. tumors
  8. ideas
Verb
  • The child folds over and crouches on the ground while the performance continues for several seconds.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
  • Sometimes a less reliable dog will smell in this manner the hot body scent of venison as a trembling doe crouches close in the brush upwind.
    — Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 15 July 2026
Definition of crouches
Noun
  • Some universities have a long standing tradition of continually testing students’ ability to explain and rationalise their theories.
    — Reynald Fasciaux, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • But when the 17-year-old Russian returns what seems like moments later with a solution to significantly advance the theories outlined in the paper, the professor finds himself with a new research partner.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of theories
Noun
  • Who else to argue with about the last humps of the Slinky Dog Dash ride?
    — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
  • On Laurel Street, a short residential thoroughfare, speeds fell from between 25 to 30 mph to less than 20 mph after speed humps were added.
    — Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of humps
Noun
  • But forget about any One Weird Trick notions of timing a flight purchase for a specific day of the week.
    — Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Then came the ‘70s and a spate of often schlocky but still unsettling films that married the two notions.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of notions
Verb
  • Despite his injury, Tasci continued to be an active participant on the sideline and in team huddles throughout the game.
    — Sean Campbell, Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • An engineer overhears a sales call where a partner is requesting a specific feature and immediately huddles with the salesperson once the line clicks shut.
    — Vikram Joshi, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Definition of huddles
Noun
  • And investors face a fresh round of guesses about how quickly renewable energy use could grow – especially as oil prices stay high.
    — The Conversation, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Below are all of our guesses on what’s still on the showgirl’s mind in between the main act and the encore.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of guesses
Noun
  • Currently, doctors often treat postmenopausal women with ER+ tumors with inhibitors of a different enzyme.
    — Allessandra DiCorato, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Many patients could be helped by new drugs that disable the genes fueling their tumors.
    — Gina Kolata, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of tumors
Noun
  • The proposition is to connect China’s factories with its creator economy; Black Lake’s agents bridge the gap by converting ideas into designs, a 3D simulation, and industrial data sent to a factory.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • When looking for best ideas for the fourth quarter nothing jumped off the charts to me — literally — like bitcoin .
    — Jay Woods, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of ideas

Browse Nearby Words

hunched
hunches
hunching
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hunches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hunches. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Luddite

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All