crunch

1 of 2

verb

ˈkrənch 

crunched; crunching; crunches

intransitive verb

1

: to chew or press with a crushing noise

2

: to make one's way with a crushing noise

transitive verb

1

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

2

: process

especially : to perform mathematical computations on

crunch numbers

crunchable

ˈkrən-chə-bəl 

adjective

crunch

2 of 2

noun

plural crunches

1

a

: an act of crunching

ate the cracker in one crunch

b

: 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

c

: 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

2

: a tight or critical situation: such as

a

: a severe economic squeeze (as on credit)

b

: shortage

an energy crunch

a time crunch

c

: 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

3

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

Synonyms of crunch

Verb

• grit
• scrape
• scratch

Noun

• shortage
• lack

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

Wandering around the park, dry leaves crunching underfoot, feels like crashing a dress rehearsal, or an extremely chill treeworker renegade. —Calin Van Paris, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026

The vehicle features four pairs of tracks called belts at each corner, with 57 six-foot-long steel shoes that will crunch their way over a pathway filled with river rock. —Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026

Noun

Fifth from bottom in the Premier League and only a point clear of the drop zone, Spurs host Nottingham Forest, the team immediately below them, in a crunch game on Sunday. —Stuart James, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026

Iceberg lettuces add crunch, texture, hydration, while subbing as carb-free buns. —Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

alteration of craunch

First Known Use

Verb

1706, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing crunch

• big crunch
• crunch on
• crunch (the) numbers
• crunch time
• the crunch

Rhymes for crunch

• brunch
• bunch
• chinch
• hunch
• lunch
• punch
• keypunch

Kids Definition

crunch

1 of 2 verb

ˈkrənch 

1

: to chew, press, or grind with a crushing noise

2

: to move with a crushing sound

crunch

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act or sound of crunching

2

: crisis sense 3

the energy crunch

3

: an exercise done by lying on the back and rising up without reaching a sitting position by bending forward at the waist