crunching

present participle of crunch
as in scraping
to press or strike against or together so as to make a scraping sound I could hear the bicycle gears crunch as I shifted the derailleur

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of crunching From the sounds of it, those are tough terms for the numbers-crunching Ellison to honor. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026 During its five-season run, there were plenty of crunching tackles, perfect spirals and last-second touchdowns by the Dillon Panthers. — Saul Austerlitz, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026 Plus, its eye-saver mode and flicker-free technology help reduce strain during long hours of crunching data. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026 Hardly blinding by any means, crunching math slower than a grade school student on a hot Friday afternoon. — Mike McRae 22, New Atlas, 23 Sep. 2026 The former finance worker wrapped up his own aerospace career back in 2017, winding down from a three-decade career of crunching financial figures. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026 Greenspan was renowned for his formidable data-crunching capabilities, sharp reading of market psychology, and subtle, often elusive communication style. — CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 When crunching the numbers economy-wide, the researchers found little to no difference in relative overall employment between the jobs judged most and least affected by AI on these metrics. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026 At the January couture shows in Paris, the look was epitomized by Lauren Sánchez Bezos and her devotion to an hourglass silhouette and toe-crunching heels. — Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunching
Verb
  • Finish by gently scraping off the wallpaper with a plastic paint scraper.
    — Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 15 Oct. 2026
  • How so much original music, like Sahunta’s, got caught up in this scraping operation remains unclear.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Red flag The Dodgers still don’t know what to reasonably expect from Ohtani, gritting out the postseason despite discomfort in his left knee and right arm.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Showed toughness by gritting through ankle and knee injuries in the Final Four and title game.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Test the plant’s health by lightly scratching the woody stems—healthy tissue beneath the bark will typically look green.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Well, then the sound of television writer Joe Wiseman clearing his throat over and over again might as well be Gilbert Gottfried’s laugh scratching against a chalkboard.
    — Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crunching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunching. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!