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
Santa Clara, California — Mike Vrabel made his nnname in the NFL as a crunching outside linebacker, delivering punishment to opposing offenses and blowing up their plays on his way to winning multiple Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots.
—
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
NeeDoh balls are a recent favorite, including ones with fun, relaxing textures and this snowball that makes a satisfying crunching sound.
—Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 3 Feb. 2026
Howard was guided to an area near The Stewpot, the icy grass crunching below his feet.
—Chase Rogers, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
Four days later, against Australia, there were two crunching tackles and a hamstring tear.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
And then there’s the cuteness of its progression indicator—verbs like crunching, moseying, perusing, reticulating, discombobulating and zesting.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 31 Jan. 2026
Consider crunching the numbers, then, to see if any of these options fit your budget again.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
The two focused on basics — literally starting with ball handling before graduating to jump shots and layups — before crunching film and ramping up training in July.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 19 Jan. 2026
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
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
NeeDoh balls are a recent favorite, including ones with fun, relaxing textures and this snowball that makes a satisfying crunching sound.
—Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 3 Feb. 2026
Howard was guided to an area near The Stewpot, the icy grass crunching below his feet.
—Chase Rogers, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
Four days later, against Australia, there were two crunching tackles and a hamstring tear.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
And then there’s the cuteness of its progression indicator—verbs like crunching, moseying, perusing, reticulating, discombobulating and zesting.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 31 Jan. 2026
Consider crunching the numbers, then, to see if any of these options fit your budget again.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
The two focused on basics — literally starting with ball handling before graduating to jump shots and layups — before crunching film and ramping up training in July.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 19 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunching
Verb
-
The familiar sounds of scraping and shoveling are back.—
Jessica Riley,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
That feeling stops, however, when pulling into gas stations or parking lots, where the length and lowness of the car require extreme care to keep the chin from scraping.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
4 Feb. 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
-
Mock suggests using gentle cleaning tools to avoid scratching the flooring.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Dishwasher Tablet Use a damp dishwasher tablet (not a pod) to scrub away grease from the inside of your glass oven door without scratching.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crunching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunching. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
