verb
Uncommon
crunch
kruhnch
Crunch (verb) means to crush something noisily, especially food, making a crackling sound. Example: “He crunched loudly on an apple during the meeting.”
verb
1
To crush something noisily, especially food, making a crackling sound.
"He crunched loudly on an apple during the meeting."
"Gravel crunched under their boots as they walked up the path."
"The children crunched through the dry autumn leaves on the way to school."
2
To process large amounts of data or numbers.
"The accountant spent the afternoon crunching the quarterly figures."
"The computer can crunch millions of records in a few seconds."
"We need to crunch the survey results before tomorrow's meeting."
noun
1
The crackling sound made when something is crushed or bitten into.
"I love the crunch of a fresh, cold carrot."
"We heard the crunch of footsteps on the frozen snow."
"The biscuit broke with a loud crunch."
2
A critical or decisive moment, often involving pressure or difficulty.
"When the crunch came, the team pulled together and finished on time."
"The crunch comes next week, when we find out if the plan works."
"If it comes to the crunch, I will help you move."
3
In game or software development, a period of mandatory overtime before a deadline.
"The studio faced criticism over its brutal crunch before the game's launch."
"Many developers dread crunch in the final weeks before a release."
"The team worked through crunch, staying late every night for a month."
How to use crunch
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCovers the crackling sound of biting or crushing something, and by extension a tense make-or-break moment or period of intense work.
Common pairings
crunch the numbers
crunch time
satisfying crunch
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Word forms
- Plural
- crunches
- Third person singular
- crunches
- Past tense
- crunched
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He _____ loudly on an apple during the meeting.
Etymology
From earlier forms like "craunch" and "cranch", words invented to imitate the sound itself.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for crunch
See all rhymes for crunch →Frequently asked questions
What does “crunch” mean?
The word “crunch” means to crush something noisily, especially food, making a crackling sound. In plain terms, covers the crackling sound of biting or crushing something, and by extension a tense make-or-break moment or period of intense work.
How do you pronounce “crunch”?
“Crunch” is pronounced kruhnch (/kɹʌnt͡ʃ/ in IPA).
How do you use “crunch” in a sentence?
Here is “crunch” used in a sentence: “He crunched loudly on an apple during the meeting.”
What is another word for “crunch”?
Words with a similar meaning to “crunch” include hashtag, number sign and pound sign.
What part of speech is “crunch”?
Depending on how it is used, “crunch” can be a verb and a noun.
Is “crunch” a common word?
“Crunch” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “crunch” have?
“Crunch” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to crush something noisily, especially food, making a crackling sound.
What is the difference between crunch and crush?
Crush simply means to press or squeeze something forcefully, while crunch specifically implies crushing something with a distinctive crackling or crackling sound, especially when biting or stepping on it. Not all crushing makes a crunch, but all crunching involves some form of crushing.
What does crunch mean in the context of data or numbers?
To crunch numbers or data means to process large amounts of information, typically through calculation or analysis, drawing on the idea of forcefully working through a large quantity of material. This figurative use extends the physical crushing sense of crunch to intellectual or computational work.
What is crunch time in game development?
Crunch, or crunch time, refers to a period of mandatory overtime that developers work through before a deadline, often involving long hours and high pressure. The term reflects the broader sense of crunch as a critical, high-pressure moment requiring intense effort.
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