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Glite Dictionary
to scrunge together

to scrunge together

9.1
To get a small amount of something quickly with little money or time
  • phrasal verb
  • Slang
translation icon : reunir rápidamente
  • Despite the late notice, he managed to scrunge together enough money for the rent.

Examples

  • We had to scrunge together supplies for the impromptu picnic.

  • She tried to scrunge together a last-minute meal when her friends arrived unexpectedly.

  • We need to scrunge together some supplies for the project!

  • Can you scrunge together a quick meal for everyone?

  • She tried to scrunge together a last-minute meal when her friends arrived unexpectedly.

  • We had to scrunge together supplies for the impromptu picnic.

  • Despite the late notice, he managed to scrunge together enough money for the rent.

Synonyms

to gather up
vsto scrunge together
43 2.1

Bring things together by picking them up with your hands

is about fast improvised assembling with minimal resources instead of simple collection
to throw together
vsto scrunge together
  • Informal
22 3.5

Make something quickly without much care or planning

is to gather rapidly with minimal resources in a rushed improvised manner
to cobble together
vsto scrunge together
  • Informal
16 5.2

Make something quickly and roughly from things you have

is about gathering fast with minimal resources rather than careful construction
to rig up
vsto scrunge together
  • Informal
12 4.1

Put things like lights or a tent together quickly to use for a short time

is broader focusing on rapid collection and improvised gathering
to slap together
vsto scrunge together
  • Informal
3 6.0

Make something quickly without caring about details

is similar but emphasizes scarcity of resources and urgency
to scratch together
vsto scrunge together
  • Informal
1 6.5

To gather small amounts of money, food, or a few people with difficulty to do something

is to gather quickly using minimal resources in a rushed makeshift way
to knock together
vsto scrunge together
  • UK
1 4.9

Make something quickly that will not last long

is more about hurried gathering using minimal means rather than quick fitting
to tack together
vsto scrunge together
4.7

To join parts quickly in a careless, temporary way

is more about quick assembly from little resources than loose joining
to clap together
vsto scrunge together
  • UK
6.8

To make something quickly and without care using what you have

is more about rapid collecting with minimal resources than casual repair
to fudge together
vsto scrunge together
  • Informal
7.4

Make something quickly and carelessly using what you have

is closer to urgent gathering from little means rather than sloppy fixing
to rake together
vsto scrunge together
  • Informal
6.7

Gather money, papers, or people quickly, often with effort

is more focused on quick makeshift assembly using minimal resources

Antonyms

to disperse
104 4.4

To cause people and things, like a crowd or fog, to spread over a wide area

to dismantle
64 4.2

Take something apart into separate pieces

How Makeshift

to cobble together
  • Informal
16 5.2
to improvise
141 4.0
to scrunge together
  • Slang
9.1
to gather
∞ 1.0
to prepare
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

scrunge together infinitive
scrunged together past
scrunged together past participle
scrunging together present participle
scrunges together third person singular

Morphology

scrunge + together

The core meaning depends on the verb 'scrunge', which is not a standard/dictionary item here and therefore not transparently analyzable; a B1 learner who only knows 'together' would not be able to infer the sense. However, the construction verb + together commonly signals assembling/gathering, so if a learner knew the verb's basic sense (e.g. to gather/scrape up), the overall meaning would be partially predictable.

Etymology

Scrunge together may come from the image of scraping small things from different places and putting them into one pile; scrunge gives the idea of scraping or taking scraps and together shows joining them. That's why it means 'to gather or make something quickly with little money or supplies'.