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
Relevance
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
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
And after crunching the numbers, the company named Hawaii the happiest state of all.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026
Marx supposedly mulled, crunching the numbers, running down trends.
—Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
After crunching the data, the researchers found that the most effective way of going off antidepressants and preventing a relapse in depression was doing slow tapering (again, over more than four weeks), combined with therapy sessions.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 12 Dec. 2025
During a Week 13 showdown against the New England Patriots, New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart took a bone-crunching hit along the sideline that sparked a scuffle between both teams.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
Suddenly everything lurched and spun and came to a crunching halt in a steep bank of trees.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Earthlings have listened in to the rover's wheels crunching over the Martian surface and the whirring blades of its no-longer-flying helicopter sidekick, Ingenuity.
—Marcia Dunn The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 27 Nov. 2025
To host these models, and serve them quickly to the number-crunching processing units, laptops are increasing their memory capacity and speed.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 Nov. 2025
Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
And after crunching the numbers, the company named Hawaii the happiest state of all.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026
Marx supposedly mulled, crunching the numbers, running down trends.
—Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
After crunching the data, the researchers found that the most effective way of going off antidepressants and preventing a relapse in depression was doing slow tapering (again, over more than four weeks), combined with therapy sessions.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 12 Dec. 2025
During a Week 13 showdown against the New England Patriots, New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart took a bone-crunching hit along the sideline that sparked a scuffle between both teams.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
Suddenly everything lurched and spun and came to a crunching halt in a steep bank of trees.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Earthlings have listened in to the rover's wheels crunching over the Martian surface and the whirring blades of its no-longer-flying helicopter sidekick, Ingenuity.
—Marcia Dunn The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 27 Nov. 2025
To host these models, and serve them quickly to the number-crunching processing units, laptops are increasing their memory capacity and speed.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunching
Verb
-
There are 617 McDonald's restaurants in Ohio, according to the web scraping tool ScrapeHero.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Check on the stew every 15 to 20 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching or sticking.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The director, a graduate of the AFI conservatory, spent two summers growing up gritting his teeth at an all-boys sleepaway sports camp.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Dec. 2025
-
Bob Donnan / Imagn Images North Carolina and head coach Bill Belichick picked up a second straight ACC win on Saturday, gritting to a 20-15 victory over Stanford in Chapel Hill.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The best vacuums for hardwood floors have a powerful cleaning performance without scratching or causing damage.—
Terri Williams,
Architectural Digest,
6 Jan. 2026
-
That pollen can fill the air, covers cars and cement, and can start noses running, eyes watering and throats scratching.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crunching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunching. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
