crunch
/krʌntʃ/ IELTSAcademic
verb
To crush or squeeze something so it makes a hard, sharp sound. It can also mean to bite or chew something hard and noisy.
- She crunched the ice under her shoes.
- He crunched a carrot loudly.
- The biscuits crunch in your mouth.
noun
A hard, sharp sound made when something is crushed or bitten. It can also mean a difficult situation, especially with time or money.
- I heard the crunch of gravel.
- We are in a cash crunch this month.
- There was a crunch in the road outside.
Adinary Nuance
Crunch is close to words like crush, chew, and snap, but it is more about the sound than the action. Use crunch when something breaks or is eaten with a loud, rough noise. For problems, crunch often means a tense shortage, like a money crunch or time crunch.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- giòn rụm
- Spanish
- crujir
- Chinese
- 嘎吱作响
- Japanese
- パリッとする
- Korean
- 바삭하다
Etymology
Crunch is an English sound word from the 17th century. It likely came from older sound-imitation forms used for breaking or biting noises.
Common phrases
time crunchcash crunchcrunch numberscrunch the data
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is crunch more about sound or action?
- It is often about both. The word usually suggests a hard action that makes a sharp sound.
- What is the difference between crunch and crush?
- Crunch focuses on the sound. Crush focuses on pressing something flat or breaking it.
- Is time crunch a common phrase in business English?
- Yes. It means there is very little time to finish something.
- Can crunch be used for food?
- Yes. It describes food that makes a loud, hard sound when you chew it.