What does "crunch" mean?
A noisy crackling sound; the sound usually associated with crunching.
Crunch
noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·1 syllable ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A noisy crackling sound; the sound usually associated with crunching.
- Grammar: crunch is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: analyze, appulse, atomize, bang.
- Useful contrasts: excess funds, idle period, mushiness.
- Usage evidence: The recession has put the crunch on wage laborers.
How to use "crunch"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "crunch" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "crunch" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "crunch" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "crunch" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "crunch" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "analyze" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "crunch", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A noisy crackling sound; the sound usually associated with crunching.
- 2 the act of crushing wordnet
- 3 A critical moment or event.
"It always pains me (slightly) when a flaming young radical like Neil Miller turns out when the crunch comes to be such an ardent defender of the status quo."
- 4 the sound of something crunching wordnet
- 5 A problem that leads to a crisis.
"The crunch is characterized by extremely depressed liquidity and deteriorated balance sheet positions for households, corporations, and financial institutions[…]"
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 a critical situation that arises because of a shortage (as a shortage of time or money or resources) wordnet
- 7 A form of abdominal exercise, based on a sit-up but in which the lower back remains in contact with the floor.
"But even I draw the line at “doing crunches” in designer clothes. Fashion sneakers are for swanking around the shops, not for running in. And so, like everyone else, I wear grotty old tracksuits earmarked for Oxfam, and tragic free festival T-shirts that give away my age."
- 8 The overtime work required to catch up and finish a project, usually in the final weeks of development before release. slang
- 9 A dessert consisting of a crunchy topping with fruit underneath.
- 10 The symbol #. US
- 11 A small piece created by crushing; a piece of material with a friable or crunchy texture.
"Smear the peanut butter, fluff, and a bit of the nutella all over, even to the very edge of the wrap. Sprinkle the crunches on top and then start rolling from one of the non-trimmed edges"
- 12 A shortage. slang
"But a supply crunch, which is already affecting the drive, could slow it down further."
- 13 Moderate distortion.
Verb
- 1 To crush something, especially food, with a noisy crackling sound.
"When I came home, Susan was watching TV with her feet up on the couch, crunching a piece of celery."
- 2 reduce to small pieces or particles by pounding or abrading wordnet
- 3 To be crushed with a noisy crackling sound.
"Beetles crunched beneath the men's heavy boots as they worked."
- 4 make a crushing noise wordnet
- 5 To calculate or otherwise process (e.g. to crunch numbers: to perform mathematical calculations). Presumably from the sound made by mechanical calculators. slang
"That metadata makes it much easier for the search engine to crunch the data for queries."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 crush with the teeth, making a grinding sound wordnet
- 7 To grind or press with violence and noise.
"The sound of our vessel crunching her way through the new ice is not easy to be described."
- 8 press or grind with a crushing noise wordnet
- 9 To emit a grinding or crunching noise.
"There were sounds in the air above his head – sounds of the crunching and rattling of the loose, smooth stones as his neighbors moved about[…]"
- 10 To cause the gears to emit a crunching sound by releasing the clutch before the gears are properly synchronised. transitive
- 11 To compress (data) using a particular algorithm, so that it can be restored by decrunching. transitive
"PackIt will not crunch executables, unless told to do so."
- 12 To make employees work overtime in order to meet a deadline in the development of a project. slang, transitive
Antonyms
Example
"The recession has put the crunch on wage laborers."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "crunch"?
Common synonyms include: analyze, appulse, atomize, bang, bang into, belch.
How do you use "crunch" in a sentence?
The recession has put the crunch on wage laborers.
Etymology
From earlier craunch, cranch, of imitative origin.