1
as in shortages
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 crises
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of crunches
Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026
If anything, the long-time executive knows that pending roster crunches often figure themselves out.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 11 May 2026
The villain’s extensive exercise and grooming routines, including ice packs, a honey almond body scrub, and 1,000 crunches, have been stripped of their satirical intent and copied by young men.
—Fay Bound-Alberti, Time, 3 May 2026
The whistleblower claims that the museum improperly moved funds between various accounts in order to meet severe cash crunches.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
In between glistening, shirtless crunches and sexy dalliances, Crown’s motives become clearer.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Small Dining and Kitchen Solutions Kitchens and dining areas are where space crunches hit hardest.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 14 Apr. 2026
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
Freeing up those funds traditionally allows the budget team more flexibility during fiscal crunches.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Energage administers an employee survey that covers 26 factors and then crunches the feedback data and scores companies based on the responses.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), the nonpartisan budget watchdog that regularly crunches numbers on policy impacts on the $38 trillion national debt, included $50 billion as one estimate in a series of projections published in early November.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2025
Each year, Google crunches the numbers to identify the items that were highly searched, newly searched, or trending for a period of time from May to September.
—Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Nguyen Nik Bonitto shoves the Jets' left tackle back into Justin Fields and Zach Allen crunches him from the interior on that third-down floater.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025
The website then crunches the numbers to see if your toilet paper stash will be enough to last the full length of the specified quarantine.
—Michael Dobuski, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2020
Noun
That’s continuing ongoing supply crunches of helium, fertilizer, natural gas and oil, the effects of which are still winding their way through the global economy and the worst may not be felt for weeks, even if traffic were to reopen today.
—Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026
If anything, the long-time executive knows that pending roster crunches often figure themselves out.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 11 May 2026
The villain’s extensive exercise and grooming routines, including ice packs, a honey almond body scrub, and 1,000 crunches, have been stripped of their satirical intent and copied by young men.
—Fay Bound-Alberti, Time, 3 May 2026
The whistleblower claims that the museum improperly moved funds between various accounts in order to meet severe cash crunches.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
In between glistening, shirtless crunches and sexy dalliances, Crown’s motives become clearer.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Small Dining and Kitchen Solutions Kitchens and dining areas are where space crunches hit hardest.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 14 Apr. 2026
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
Freeing up those funds traditionally allows the budget team more flexibility during fiscal crunches.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
Each month, Edward Flores crunches the numbers.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Energage administers an employee survey that covers 26 factors and then crunches the feedback data and scores companies based on the responses.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), the nonpartisan budget watchdog that regularly crunches numbers on policy impacts on the $38 trillion national debt, included $50 billion as one estimate in a series of projections published in early November.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2025
Each year, Google crunches the numbers to identify the items that were highly searched, newly searched, or trending for a period of time from May to September.
—Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Nguyen Nik Bonitto shoves the Jets' left tackle back into Justin Fields and Zach Allen crunches him from the interior on that third-down floater.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025
The website then crunches the numbers to see if your toilet paper stash will be enough to last the full length of the specified quarantine.
—Michael Dobuski, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunches
Noun
-
The Democratic Alliance — the ANC’s main opponent in November polls despite its role as a ruling partner in the national government — is likely to benefit from the water shortages.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
-
The consequence of the effect on fertilizer is higher food costs—and perhaps even food shortages.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The move triggered a global collapse of silver prices, froze half the world’s precious metal reserves, and helped ignite the cascading crises of 1873.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
-
Most CEOs are making consequential calls in the margins of their schedule, between meetings, between crises, between everything else.—
Liam Chrismer,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The structured silhouette and clean lines feel refined without being flashy, while the durable leather withstands scrapes from branches and changing weather.—
Paris Wilson,
Travel + Leisure,
30 May 2026
-
All these ideas and connections sort of gradually built up in the same way that Yoriko, the sculptor, gradually adds clay to her model — and then scrapes some off again, and then adds new bits.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The Drive The turbo engine gives it the push the standard engine lacks, especially when merging, climbing grades or passing.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
Ford’s freedom or constraints, his prejudices or lacks, gauge his moment and ours.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One of Miami’s most maddening crossroads has become easier to navigate.—
Amaia Gavica,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
-
Walnut Creek developed at the crossroads of two 19th-century routes, one running between Oakland and east Contra Costa County and the other between Martinez, a shipping town on the Carquinez Strait, and San Jose.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Guests can also order customized barrel heads, or lids, to take home.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Some can be seen with their hands tied behind their backs, kneeling with their heads touching the floor.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crunches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunches. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
