1
as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
a severe energy crunch that resulted in long lines at the gas pumps
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crisis
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action
a player who's always good in a crunch, like when we need a goal to win the soccer match
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crunch
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The agency has warned of an imminent jet fuel crunch in Europe, with some countries facing shortages within weeks.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 9 Apr. 2026
After crunching the numbers, the researchers discovered that adults who had never been married had significantly higher rates of developing cancer compared to those who were married or had been married.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch
Noun
The Hornets endured a crunch of injuries and were down to seven healthy players in the final stretch of the season.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The agency has warned of an imminent jet fuel crunch in Europe, with some countries facing shortages within weeks.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
After crunching the numbers, the researchers discovered that 1-standard deviation increase in optimism was linked with a 15 percent lower risk of developing dementia.
—Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 9 Apr. 2026
After crunching the numbers, the researchers discovered that adults who had never been married had significantly higher rates of developing cancer compared to those who were married or had been married.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch
Noun
-
That means there will be no shortage of motivation in these final weeks, and their key players should continue to play every minute despite their run to the semi-finals of the Europa League.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
That’s just one example of what more than three decades of chronic school funding shortages under Colorado’s decades-old spending cap has led to.—
Kevin Vick,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the War on Terror persisted and mutated into nightmares in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then Syria, which unleashed that darkness in the form of terrorist states and a refugee crisis that spread anti-Muslim and anti-migrant hatred to Europe, the United States, and beyond.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
-
As Hal witnesses crisis and inequality firsthand, the line between observing and acting begins to blur.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This is where the conspiracy theories begin to grit their teeth.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Eye protection keeps grime and grit out of your eyes.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Goldman Sachs estimated that Qatar could see its GDP plunge by 14%, citing its lack of alternative export channels to the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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This Fire sign is, after all, notorious for its lack of a filter… and the 24-year-old singer just so happens to have her sun, Venus and Pluto here.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The reason, an official with knowledge of the meeting plans said, is because King Charles is a head of state, rather than a head of government.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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Matt Small, who is in his first season as Lincoln-Way Central’s head coach, was an assistant at Homewood-Flossmoor.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This will scrape off seed ticks that have bitten you.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
-
After all, one line of thinking goes, the big LLMs have already scraped everything available on the web.—
Elizabeth Lopatto,
The Verge,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Twice in the last three years, and also in 2011, Repole brought a promising horse to the Derby and had to scratch him before post time.—
Jay Posner,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Unlike nylon brushes, silicone ones carry no risk of scratching or removing paint from your bottle.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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