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View synonyms for

crunch

[ kruhnch ]

verb (used with object)

  1. to crush with the teeth; chew with a crushing noise.
  2. to crush or grind noisily.
  3. to tighten or squeeze financially:

    The administration's policy seems to crunch the economy in order to combat inflation.



verb (used without object)

  1. to chew with a crushing sound.
  2. to produce, or proceed with, a crushing noise.

noun

  1. an act or sound of crunching.
  2. a shortage or reduction of something needed or wanted:

    the energy crunch.

  3. distress or depressed conditions due to such a shortage or reduction:

    a budget crunch.

  4. a critical or dangerous situation:

    When the crunch comes, just do your best.

crunch

/ ʌԳʃ /

verb

  1. to bite or chew (crisp foods) with a crushing or crackling sound
  2. to make or cause to make a crisp or brittle sound

    the snow crunched beneath his feet

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the sound or act of crunching
  2. short for abdominal crunch
  3. the crunch informal.
    the critical moment or situation
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. informal.
    critical; decisive

    crunch time

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈܲԳ, adjective
  • ˈܲԳ󲹲, adjective
  • ˈܲԳ󾱱, adverb
  • ˈܲԳ󾱲Ա, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • ܲԳa· adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of crunch1

1795–1805; blend of craunch and crush
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Word History and Origins

Origin of crunch1

C19: changed (through influence of munch ) from earlier craunch, of imitative origin
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. crunch numbers, Computers.
    1. to perform a great many numerical calculations or extensive manipulations of numerical data.
    2. to process a large amount of data.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Despite his injuries, Bradley's performances have again drawn praise this season, most notably in a 2-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid that featured a crunching tackle on French star Kylian Mbappe.

From

In a cookie, it does more than just add a grainy crunch.

From

But experts say it is still left in a crunch.

From

"Knafeh was the first flavour we perfected. The crunch, the pistachio, it had to be just right," she added.

From

Yet when Lund and his staff crunched the numbers for goals, assists and pre-assists, they realised the 15-year-old's output was double that of the next best player.

From

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Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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