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
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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
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Trump aims to address sky-high prices by shutting institutional investors out of the market for single-family homes, which in theory could alleviate the supply-demand crunch and put downward pressure on prices.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 9 Jan. 2026
Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Each month, Edward Flores crunches the numbers.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch
Noun
Besides all of this, the January crunch stems from the Wayback machine, to the coaches seeking a way to corral their entire roster on campus long before the first game kicks off.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Trump aims to address sky-high prices by shutting institutional investors out of the market for single-family homes, which in theory could alleviate the supply-demand crunch and put downward pressure on prices.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
His night was capped when he was crunched by two Seahawks defenders on his final snap, a fourth-down incompletion that ultimately ended the game.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Each month, Edward Flores crunches the numbers.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch
Noun
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Wagner said the shortages of equipment and staff will have a lasting impact on rebuilding in his community.—
Jeff Nguyen,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Sale speculation has surrounded Puma since last September, and there’s been no shortage on who could be buyers for the German sportswear brand.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Over the past decade and a half, millions from the Middle East, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia arrived amid successive crises in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, and beyond.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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Of course, 2008 was the start of the subprime mortgage crisis, which led to the Great Recession and housing crash, when the market was flooded with distressed homes, giving buyers all the power.—
Diana Olick,
CNBC,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Grit gave weight to feeling; feeling gave purpose to grit.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Doechii continues to grit her teeth while declaring that the accolades she’s earned along the way were from hard work.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Dead drummer Mickey Hart said at one point legendary concert promoter Bill Graham vented to him about the lack of catchy songs.—
Adam Levine,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
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The first indicator is oftentimes a lack of water flow from faucets when the weather is extremely cold.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Several districts in Kyiv were hit in the attack and an emergency medical aid worker was among those killed, according to Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Stokes, who seldom completes a five-Test series these days, had dragged his creaking, aching body through almost five full matches of hard, hot, energy-sapping cricket, like scraping butter over too much bread, but somehow soldiering on.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Restaurant staff scrape uneaten food from plates into a compost bin.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If large stuck-on food chunks remain, carefully scrape them off with a razor blade, being mindful not to scratch the stovetop.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
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Bright and spellbinding, glittering and dangerous, London Falling scratches every itch while unwinding this morbid mystery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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