Synonyms of crunch

crunch 1 of 2

noun

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

• shortage
• lack
• deficiency
• deficit
• scarcity
• drought
• pinch
• famine
• paucity
• absence
• poverty
• inadequacy
• dearth
• insufficiency
• failure
• undersupply
• lacuna
• scantiness
• scarceness
• inadequateness
• want
• omission
• necessity
• need
• meagerness
• privation
• poorness
• skimpiness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abundance
• plenty
• amplitude
• wealth
• sufficiency
• adequacy
• opulence
• plenitude
• surplus
• excess
• oversupply
• surfeit
• overabundance
• copiousness
• bountifulness

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

• crisis
• head
• crossroad(s)
• emergency
• situation
• crunch time
• extremity
• clutch
• breaking point
• boiling point
• flash point
• exigency
• point of no return
• juncture
• conjuncture
• moment of truth
• zero hour
• possibility
• Dunkirk
• predicament
• tinderbox
• milestone
• contingency
• climax
• pinch
• turning point
• condition
• corner
• happening
• impasse
• jam
• pass
• deadlock
• landmark
• hot water
• spot
• stalemate
• scrape
• fix
• last ditch
• last minute
• strait
• hole
• eleventh hour

crunch

2 of 2

verb

ˈkrənch 

as in to grit

to press or strike against or together so as to make a scraping sound

I could hear the bicycle gears crunch as I shifted the derailleur

Synonyms & Similar Words

• grit
• scrape
• scratch
• grind
• creak
• groan
• gnash
• grate
• scrunch
• moan
• whine
• clash
• jar
• collide
• rasp
• jangle

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of crunch

Noun

There’s an initial burst of salt and crunch, then a rolling thunder of jerk spice, spiked with the vibrant, herbal freshness of Caribbean green seasoning and a whisper of cinnamon and nutmeg. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026

Sake Sushi’s menu serves classic Japanese sashimi and Americanized sushi, including spicy salmon rolls, crunch roll and an assortment of baked, fried and cooked rolls. — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Verb

The rising diesel prices have crunched farmers who rely on diesel for transport. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026

Children shouted, amped up on sugar and adrenaline, while orange leaves crunched under their feet. — Isa Mudannayake, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026

Phrases Containing crunch

• crunch (on)
• crunch time