as in scraped
to press or strike against or together so as to make a scraping sound
I could hear the bicycle gears crunch as I shifted the derailleur
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Recent Examples of crunched
To put this spending into perspective, Jefferies analysts crunched the numbers on flight costs.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
Kim’s beautiful mah-jong set was the focal point of the room, but everyone was a little too tired and time-crunched amid a hectic fashion week to play a round of the game.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 12 Feb. 2026
While Rivkah crunched numbers by day, Robby crushed stand-up sets by night.
—Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2026
Henry Bushnell crunched the numbers.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Travel site Skyscanner has crunched the numbers and estimated the 10 cheapest destinations to book in 2026.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
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
The data from their sensors is already starting to get crunched, revealing how effectively the car cushioned them from the force of the collision.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 16 Dec. 2025
After the numbers were crunched, the best choice for middle-class retirees was determined to be Albert Lea, Minnesota, where residents enjoy an annual cost of living of only $29,333.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 3 Dec. 2025
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
Kim’s beautiful mah-jong set was the focal point of the room, but everyone was a little too tired and time-crunched amid a hectic fashion week to play a round of the game.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 12 Feb. 2026
While Rivkah crunched numbers by day, Robby crushed stand-up sets by night.
—Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2026
Henry Bushnell crunched the numbers.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Travel site Skyscanner has crunched the numbers and estimated the 10 cheapest destinations to book in 2026.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
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
The data from their sensors is already starting to get crunched, revealing how effectively the car cushioned them from the force of the collision.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 16 Dec. 2025
After the numbers were crunched, the best choice for middle-class retirees was determined to be Albert Lea, Minnesota, where residents enjoy an annual cost of living of only $29,333.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 3 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunched
Verb
-
Bernardo Silva scraped in an equaliser from close range.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Once exposed, that data can be copied, scraped and shared forever.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But the Olympic debutant gritted her teeth and tried to forget about her throbbing, bruised knee.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Westlake graduate missed just one game earlier this season but gritted his way through an undisclosed injury.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crunched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunched. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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