- to crush with the teeth; chew with a crushing noise.
- to crush or grind noisily.
- to tighten or squeeze financially: The administration's policy seems to crunch the economy in order to combat inflation.
- to chew with a crushing sound.
- to produce, or proceed with, a crushing noise.
- an act or sound of crunching.
- a shortage or reduction of something needed or wanted: the energy crunch.
- distress or depressed conditions due to such a shortage or reduction: a budget crunch.
- a critical or dangerous situation: When the crunch comes, just do your best.
- crunch numbers, Computers.
- to perform a great many numerical calculations or extensive manipulations of numerical data.
- to process a large amount of data.
- to bite or chew (crisp foods) with a crushing or crackling sound
- to make or cause to make a crisp or brittle sound
- the sound or act of crunching
- short for abdominal crunch
- the critical moment or situation
- critical; decisive
