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
-
The resulting labor shortage is driving up wages, another source of inflation in the country.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
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
-
Alas, as the current crisis confirms, such mere facts do not persuade those leading the anti-vaccine crusade that threatens both existing protections and the hope of creating new ones.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Haiti is one of the world’s poorest countries, in the grip of a political and humanitarian crisis.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Silva said the single most alarming aspect of the report was the lack of information available to emergency responders.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
The Mexican team’s lack of elite club experience, however, is obvious and could be a problem.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
From the Neolithic rock art of what is now Libya to ancient Egypt, China and India, to medieval and Renaissance Europe, creatures at borderlands of what was taken to be civilization were represented as cynocephalic, that is, humans with dog heads.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
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In the gallery, Austin's brother, Hunter Metcalf, lowered his head into his hands, visibly shaken.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Blend until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed.—
Judy Bart Kancigor,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
-
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
-
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 17 Jun. 2026.
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