1
as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
a severe energy crunch that resulted in long lines at the gas pumps
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crisis
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action
a player who's always good in a crunch, like when we need a goal to win the soccer match
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crunch
Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 18 June 2026
The 6-foot-7 forward got caught up in a roster crunch in terms of meaningful minutes, and saw action in only 31 games, leading to him spending time jockeying between Charlotte and Greensboro suiting up for the Swarm in the G League.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026
Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 June 2026
At sea, celestial navigation, which came into its own in the late 1700s, requires algorithms to crunch the inputs from a sextant that allows mariners to determine their position on the surface of a sphere.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch
Noun
Nuts Chopped nuts add a nice crunch to oatmeal.
—Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 18 June 2026
The 6-foot-7 forward got caught up in a roster crunch in terms of meaningful minutes, and saw action in only 31 games, leading to him spending time jockeying between Charlotte and Greensboro suiting up for the Swarm in the G League.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026
Verb
But analysts at Deutsche Bank drew a much more bullish conclusion while crunching the numbers in a different way.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 June 2026
At sea, celestial navigation, which came into its own in the late 1700s, requires algorithms to crunch the inputs from a sextant that allows mariners to determine their position on the surface of a sphere.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch
Noun
-
The Crimean peninsula has had periodic fuel shortages from Ukrainian strikes before, but the current crisis is the worst since its 2014 annexation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 June 2026
-
Novelli said one of the reasons many kids in New Haven are still behind in reading is a shortage of pre-kindergarten education.—
Theo Peck-Suzuki,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2026
Noun
-
Defense attorney Alexandra Kazarian said California politicians are repeating age-old mistakes of trying to arrest their way out of a mental health crisis.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
The wing also made mental health counseling, chapel, crisis intervention, and military and family readiness resources available to its community following Watson’s death.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Then the coach known as the most impulsive man on an NFL sideline runs that stop sign, grits his teeth and breaks unbound into character.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
When my grandchildren were around recently, Marie was gritting her teeth because her nerves were so frayed.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Detainees at the facility have reported a lack of access to lawyers and poor physical conditions, including worms in the food, toilets that do not flush, floors flooding with fecal waste and insects everywhere.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
-
In today’s food environment, addiction to UPFs should not be written off as a lack of personal willpower, said Forman, who researches ultraprocessed food addiction.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
-
He was left unconscious, suffering a head injury that remained bleeding days later.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Most of the site has been cleaned and scraped, while the work at a nearby synagogue that suffered severe damage is just beginning.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
Her older brother, 9-year-old Charlie, climbs across the nearby jungle gym at a Prairie Village playground as her younger brother, 3-year-old Will, scrapes a stick through the mulch.—
Anna Spoerre,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
And these only scratch the surface of his accomplishments.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
21 June 2026
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Even young raccoons can bite or scratch when frightened, and wild animals can carry parasites and diseases, says Rakestraw.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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