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
Christa Sgobba, Health, 11 June 2026
The vegetables add fiber and crunch, helping with fullness without relying on heavy dressings or other additions.
—Jennifer Klump, Verywell Health, 11 June 2026
Kimberly Richardson, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
But unlike the calone-heavy scents of the past, 2026’s take on aquatics is less about swimming pools and more about seashells and sand crunching underfoot.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch
Noun
As mentioned, crunches focus on aspects of core endurance, which helps the abdominal muscles support and stabilize the spine during everyday activities.
—Christa Sgobba, Health, 11 June 2026
The vegetables add fiber and crunch, helping with fullness without relying on heavy dressings or other additions.
—Jennifer Klump, Verywell Health, 11 June 2026
Verb
The investment bank crunched the numbers to forecast a winner.
—Kimberly Richardson, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
But unlike the calone-heavy scents of the past, 2026’s take on aquatics is less about swimming pools and more about seashells and sand crunching underfoot.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch
Noun
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The resulting labor shortage is driving up wages, another source of inflation in the country.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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The war displaced most of the Palestinian population of more than 2 million, left large parts of the territory in rubble and created widespread shortages of food, medicine and other basic supplies asGaza’s border crossings — all but one controlled by Israel — were shut.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
14 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
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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
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When my grandchildren were around recently, Marie was gritting her teeth because her nerves were so frayed.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
7 June 2026
-
Both of these teams are elite and gritted through losses in the College World Series to get to these finals.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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He was left unconscious, suffering a head injury that remained bleeding days later.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Blend until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed.—
Judy Bart Kancigor,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
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The valuable elements instantly gather onto a collection surface, allowing researchers to scrape them off.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The Pirates scratched the winning run across against Anthony Bender (1-1), who got in a jam after getting the first two outs of the inning.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 June 2026
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Widow’s Bay manages to scratch the same itch as recent idiosyncratic horror offerings like Evil and Castle Rock, municipal comedies like Parks and Recreation, and quaint small-town BritBox mysteries.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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