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
Daryl Austin, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026
After the ceasefire, oil prices plunged and bond yields fell, loosening up some of the cost crunch for consumers and businesses alike.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Phoebe Fry, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Apr. 2026
On break point, Sabalenka crunched a backhand winner.
—CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch
Noun
And if investing in equipment isn’t an option, bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, lunges, crunches and planks engage multiple muscle groups and can be adapted for any fitness level.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026
After the ceasefire, oil prices plunged and bond yields fell, loosening up some of the cost crunch for consumers and businesses alike.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
Tax Day comes with paperwork, number-crunching, and a mild existential crisis, but dinner doesn’t have to suffer for it.
—Phoebe Fry, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Apr. 2026
On break point, Sabalenka crunched a backhand winner.
—CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch
Noun
-
Police began cracking down Saturday, using pepper spray to help clear protesters at the Whitegate refinery in County Cork and vowing to remove others who were endangering critical infrastructure and public safety because gas shortages could prevent response by emergency services.—
Brian Melley,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The International Energy Agency, S&P Global, BloombergNEF, Wood Mackenzie, and Goldman Sachs have all corroborated Grantham’s point, with the IEA projecting shortages in copper and lithium within a decade.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Since the pandemic, South Florida’s housing crisis has only exacerbated the issue at already overwhelmed animal shelters.—
Amanda Rosa
April 9,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Concurrently, mental-health crises among teens have become legion.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This is where the conspiracy theories begin to grit their teeth.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Eye protection keeps grime and grit out of your eyes.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That is likely because of over-breeding and a lack of education over the breed’s health issues, Starzyk said.—
Amanda Rosa
April 9,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Isolated by its beautiful, rugged mountains, West Virginia sits entirely within Appalachia and has long been listed at the bottom of a laundry list of failings, including poor health and a lack of education.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 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,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Gets drilled up high in the wrist his second at-bat and then third one takes a good swing and then throws the next one head-high.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In photo after photo, video after video, North Shore residents are painted in mud, scraping it off driveways, sweeping it out of kitchens and heaving it into trucks along with their household debris.—
Thomas Heaton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Process for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is smooth and sticky.—
Laura Mclively,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Rays also had a bullpen day Tuesday when Drew Rasmussen was scratched for the earlier-than-expected birth of his daughter.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Taveras was in the starting lineup after Tyler O’Neill was scratched with an illness.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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