crunching

present participle of crunch
as in scraping
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 crunching This is the time of year for leaves crunching underfoot and the ripening of rosehips. Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 5 Oct. 2025 The number-crunching bureau at the Labor Department is one of many government agencies idled by the shutdown. Scott Horsley, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025 Running both variants provides a clear first look at how the new Oryon cores stack up against the x86 competition in pure CPU-crunching throughput. Wendy Sheehan Donnell, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025 Knight’s work includes SAS Rogue Heroes, Peaky Blinders and Eastern Promises, all of them featuring kick-ass, bone-crunching scenes. Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2025 Think leaf-crunching hikes, afternoons spent apple picking, and wagon rides that feel straight out of another era. Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025 As Kramer captured it, their bone-and-muscle-crunching agony, like Lombardi’s coaching, was all part of a higher calling. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025 But Beck was 1 for 8 in those instances, with all three interceptions being the product of Florida crunching his decision-making time. Noah White, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2025 But in 2025, every team’s got a game-management department or person, with someone in the booth crunching win-probability models in real time. Dianna Russini, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunching
Verb
  • Blood curdling screams and chains scraping against the ground can be heard throughout the prison.
    Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Beat together brown sugar and butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
    Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • There is an undercurrent of pulsing creative energy that is meticulously refined and barely scratching its surface.
    Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • But in OpenAI’s view, the company is merely scratching the surface of its full potential.
    Senior Reporter, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Crunching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunching. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

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