1 B1 neutral
To physically place or move people or things close together in one spot.
"The teacher bunched the desks together to create space for the drama activity."
separable
bunch together
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To gather or group things or people closely together in one place or category.
In plain English
Put things or people close together in a group.
What does "bunch together" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To put different things or people into one group or category, sometimes unfairly ignoring differences.
"Critics complained that the report bunched together very different types of crime under one heading."
separable
3 B1 neutral
(Of people) to move or stand very close to one another, especially in a compact group.
"The runners bunched together at the starting line, waiting for the signal."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To make a bunch by pulling things together.
Actually means
Put things or people close together in a group.
Usage tip
Can be used literally (physical grouping) or figuratively (grouping ideas or categories). Often used in passive constructions: 'they were bunched together at the back.'
Words that pair with "bunch together"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
students items flowers data houses candidates
How to conjugate "bunch together"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
bunch together
I/you/we/they
3rd person
bunches together
he/she/it
Past simple
bunched together
yesterday
Past participle
bunched together
have + pp
-ing form
bunching together
continuous
Hear "bunch together" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "bunch together" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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