crunch

1 of 2

verb

ˈkrənch

crunched; crunching; crunches

Synonyms of crunch next

intransitive verb

: to chew or press with a crushing noise

: to make one's way with a crushing noise

transitive verb

: to chew, press, or grind with a crunching sound

: process

especially : to perform mathematical computations on

crunch numbers

crunchable

ˈkrən-chə-bəl

adjective

crunch

2 of 2

noun

plural crunches

: an act of crunching

ate the cracker in one crunch

: a sound made by crunching

The only sound was the crunch of leaves underfoot.

There was a rather loud crunch as I bit into the battered dumplings.—

Fraser Glen

: the quality of being crunchy : the tendency to make a crunching sound when chewed or pressed

… make sure you have protein, a carbohydrate and a vegetable. You have to have crunch, flavour, salty and sweet in one.—

Carla Grossetti

Texture is king in this salad, … with added crunch from toasted walnuts.—

Eleanor Maidment

: a tight or critical situation: such as

: a severe economic squeeze (as on credit)

: shortage

an energy crunch

a time crunch

: a critical point in the buildup of pressure between opposing elements : showdown

… the odd loss at Bankwest, combined with winning virtually nothing on the road, is going to come back to haunt them when the season reaches the crunch.—

Scott Pryde

: a conditioning exercise performed from a supine position by raising and lowering the upper torso without reaching a sitting position

Examples of crunch in a Sentence

Verb We could hear the truck's tires crunching along the gravel road. When she crunched the numbers, she found that the business's profits were actually much lower than the company had said. Noun the crunch of someone eating a carrot We could hear the crunch of the truck's tires on the gravel road. The crunch came when the computer stopped working.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The California Energy Commission just finished crunching the numbers for 2022. —

Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2023 The moment the pumpkin cream touched my lips, I was instantly transported to an autumnal place where red leaves crunched underfoot and a cozy jacket protected me against a chilly wind — a far cry from my reality, which was a decidedly summery uptown Phoenix Starbucks in 90-degree weather. —

Endia Fontanez, The Arizona Republic, 24 Aug. 2023 Melody Evans, a wealth management adviser at TIAA, crunched some numbers. —

Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2023 People got wind of it and started it a week later, a month later — there was some ovulation participation going on and Buckley was starting to crunch the numbers. —

Ali Lerman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2023 Their most striking characteristic is their human-like teeth designed to crunch through crabs and mollusks. —

Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 24 Aug. 2023 Netflix Games is still looking for its first big hit, developers are still expected to crunch, and mod communities are using AI voice clones to create unlicensed pornographic content based on human actors’ performances. —

Madeline Ashby, WIRED, 17 July 2023 Betts crunched a 1-0 sinker to the warning track in center field, the collective air — for a moment at least — snatched from Fenway. —

Julian McWilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Aug. 2023 Strickland was originally committed to Florida, but was dropped by the Gators in a numbers crunch late in the 2020-21 recruiting cycle. —

Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 25 Aug. 2023

Noun

Jones acknowledged the time crunch but said the city has taken on difficult endeavors before. —

Stacy Ryburn, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2023 The super-delicate crunch of the puffy taco results in the same ecstasy — and the same crumbles. —

Joe Yonan, Washington Post, 17 Sep. 2023 The dispute between House Speaker Jason Stephens and Senate President Matt Huffman, who are rivals for the speaker’s gavel in 2025, comes as the redistricting commission is already under a time crunch to pass new state legislative maps ahead of the 2024 election. —

Jeremy Pelzer, cleveland, 14 Sep. 2023 But a supply crunch will continue to put pressure on house prices in the current market. —

Byprarthana Prakash, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2023 For financial institutions facing a revenue crunch, this efficiency can translate into substantial recurring income. —

Kristen Lynch, USA TODAY, 7 Sep. 2023 Cinnamon and nutmeg add seasonal spice, and pecans add crunch. —

Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2023 Besides, the bacon and bread bring all the crispy crunch this sandwich needs. —

Farideh Sadeghin, Saveur, 14 Sep. 2023 But new data show that even inland areas — far from the shores — such as Modesto, Bakersfield and Stockton are significantly less affordable compared with the national average, further worsening the housing crunch in a state facing an unprecedented crisis. —

Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crunch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.