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
Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 27 Jan. 2026
Although interest rates on new-car loans have edged lower, car buyers are financing larger amounts, so the affordability crunch has only worsened.
—Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
Brendan Marks, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
These are interconnected by a path that snakes along the coast (though, in true Sicilian style, reaching the actual beach from the car can take a good hour of crunching through brittle trails).
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch
Noun
Add crab walking into your routine alongside your normal core circuits alongside your crunches or planks.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 27 Jan. 2026
Although interest rates on new-car loans have edged lower, car buyers are financing larger amounts, so the affordability crunch has only worsened.
—Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
For the basketball vision, Chu showed it by crunching numbers, diving into shot profiles and showing prospects what could be possible.
—Brendan Marks, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
These are interconnected by a path that snakes along the coast (though, in true Sicilian style, reaching the actual beach from the car can take a good hour of crunching through brittle trails).
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch
Noun
-
In this city of 20 million people, the Delhi Water Board said last Thursday that 43 neighborhoods – home to about two million people – had been affected by water shortages.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Critics argue the violence and staffing shortages that have long plagued Los Padrinos have spread and are now destabilizing other facilities.—
Jason Henry,
Daily News,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In moments of crisis—when communities are grieving, divided, or searching for ways to care for one another—nonprofits stand on the front lines, holding our social fabric together through connection, healing, and support.—
Cat Ward,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Kim all but disappeared from public view, until the president declared martial law late one Tuesday night in December 2023, launching the nation – and the couple – into a far bigger crisis.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The court acquitted Kim of two other charges, citing a lack of evidence and other reasons.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The meeting was canceled because of a lack of a quorum.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The six-time Super Bowl champion head coach fell short of the 40 out of 50 votes needed for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Former Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich is considered a top candidate for the job, according to league and team sources.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Unlike language models trained on trillions of words scraped from the Internet, robotic manipulation data requires physical demonstrations that are expensive and time-consuming to collect.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Britain’s competition watchdog said Wednesday that Google should give news sites and content creators the choice to opt out of having their online content scraped to feed its AI overviews.—
Kelvin Chan,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Still, even some fans of the project were left scratching their heads.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
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Dip a soft toothbrush into the solution and use it to gently clean grooves, being careful not to bend, compress, or scratch the gasket.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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