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APG.American
Pronunciation Guide
HOW TO PRONOUNCE

crunch

/kɹʌnt͡ʃ/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:05
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What does crunch mean?

verb

  1. To crush something, especially food, with a noisy crackling sound.
  2. To be crushed with a noisy crackling sound.
  3. (slang) To calculate or otherwise process (e.g. to crunch numbers: to perform mathematical calculations). Presumably from the sound made by mechanical calculators.
More meanings (15)

verb

  1. To grind or press with violence and noise.
  2. To emit a grinding or crunching noise.
  3. To cause the gears to emit a crunching sound by releasing the clutch before the gears are properly synchronised.
  4. To compress (data) using a particular algorithm, so that it can be restored by decrunching.
  5. (slang) To make employees work overtime in order to meet a deadline in the development of a project.

noun

  1. Crunchiness.
  2. A small piece created by crushing; a piece of material with a friable or crunchy texture.
  3. A dessert consisting of a crunchy topping with fruit underneath.
  4. A critical moment or event.
  5. A problem that leads to a crisis.
  6. (slang) The overtime work required to catch up and finish a project, usually in the final weeks of development before release.
  7. (slang) A shortage.
  8. A form of abdominal exercise, based on a sit-up but in which the lower back remains in contact with the floor.
  9. The symbol #.
  10. Moderate distortion.
Wiktionary contributors

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/kɹʌnt͡ʃ/

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

The cattle move and crunch, and lie down, and move on again, and they do not even low.
Rudyard KiplingThe Jungle BookProject Gutenberg ebook #236
At the first crunch the animal showed evident signs of disgust, and at once spat out the whole of the contents.
Samuel White, Sir BakerWild Beasts and Their Ways, Reminiscences of Europe, Asia, Africa and America — Volume 1Project Gutenberg ebook #3657
More book examples (2)
Another colored performer took an ordinary bottle, and, after breaking it, would bite off chunks, crunch them with his teeth, and finally swallow them.
Harry HoudiniMiracle Mongers and Their Methods A Complete Exposé of the Modus Operandi of Fire Eaters, Heat Resisters, Poison Eaters, Venomous Reptile Defiers, Sword Swallowers, Human Ostriches, Strong Men, Etc.Project Gutenberg ebook #435
The noise of the wind and the sleet enabled him to come quite close before Molly heard the faint crunch of a dry leaf under his paw.
Ernest Thompson SetonWild Animals I Have KnownProject Gutenberg ebook #3031