big crunch

noun, often capitalized B&C

|Updated on: 1 Jun 2018

Definition of big crunch

: a hypothetical cosmological event in which all matter in the universe collapses to a singularity and which is posited to be a possible fate of the universe if the density of matter in it is sufficiently high — compare big bang, big rip

Recent Examples of big crunch from the Web

In theory, such a nonstandard form of dark energy could also profoundly diminish or even reverse its effects in the future, leaving open the possibility that the universe could still experience a big crunch.

— lee billings, Scientific American, "Cosmic Conflict: Diverging Data on Universe’s Expansion Polarizes Scientists," 16 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'big crunch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.