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
Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 June 2025
Dallas is mired in a salary cap crunch, even after trading Mason Marchment away.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 21 June 2025
Keith Plocek, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
There’s an umami flavor that is brought out by crunching through the crispy exterior to reach its incredibly dense, fluffy inside.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for crunch
Noun
The sides and bottoms of the muffins had a nice crunch, as did the domed muffin tops, and the interior had a delightfully fluffy crumb.
—Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 June 2025
Dallas is mired in a salary cap crunch, even after trading Mason Marchment away.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 21 June 2025
Verb
Other spectators soon crunched across the ice plants and joined us on our perch.
—Keith Plocek, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
There’s an umami flavor that is brought out by crunching through the crispy exterior to reach its incredibly dense, fluffy inside.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for crunch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch
Noun
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Meanwhile, Californians feel the effects of the shortage of at least 3 million homes in their pocketbooks.—
Laura Friedman,
Oc Register,
7 July 2025
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Ongoing Staffing Challenges The NWS has acknowledged ongoing staffing shortages stemming from federal layoffs and early retirements instituted by DOGE.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 July 2025
Noun
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Stablecoins have, historically, flourished where there is economic instability and global crisis may further support the cross-border reliance on the stability of the U.S. currency.—
Priya Prakash Royal Esq. LL.M. MBA AEP TEP,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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After signing it Monday evening, Newsom heralded it as a solution to the state’s affordability crisis, which reached a fever pitch last year and peaked when a series of wildfires devastated Los Angeles in January, burning thousands of homes.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Perhaps our best hope right now might be to grit our teeth about AGI as a north star, push the AI community to realize the dangers and pitfalls therein, and do our darnedest to overcome the downsides.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
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From bouncing back in elimination games to stringing together dominant wins in the state semifinal, Aledo has played with urgency, intensity, and grit through five series victories.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Red Oak parent Maria Barraza previously warned that the consolidation would destroy the community built around Red Oak, and raised concerns about a lack of engagement from the district with the school’s Spanish-speaking families.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
30 June 2025
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Some listeners began to have doubts about The Velvet Sundown's existence over the past week, with multiple Reddit and X threads pointing out the lack of verifiable information on the band.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 June 2025
Noun
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Now, Maineri heads into year 12 with 18 pitchers on his roster, hoping that rising junior Caleb Gilbert and sophomore-to-be Zach Hess will emerge at the top of the pitching rotation.—
John Roach,
NOLA.com,
19 July 2017
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Cal Fire representatives said the current parking mess has already impacted them because the driveway to their station enters the highway not far from the trail head.—
J. Harry Jones,
Ramona Sentinel,
19 July 2017
Verb
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National Weather Service radar is indicated that squall bands are starting to scrape the Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida coastlines.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
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Avoid using any type of metal tool or spatula to scrape the surface.—
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
4 July 2025
Verb
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He was scratched from a game in early May after experiencing soreness on his left side but started three days later.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
4 July 2025
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Independence Day While the rest of the films on this list surely make sense, some might be scratching their heads on why a sci-fi film is considered to be one of the greatest Fourth of July films ever made.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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