crunch
crunch — noun
- crunchsingular
- crunchesplural
1. the short, sharp, loud noise made when something hard is pressed, broken, or bit
the short, sharp, loud noise made when something hard is pressed, broken, or bitten forcefully
The loud crunch of gravel under the delivery van told Sofia that her package had arrived.
collocation: crunch of [material]
A crisp crunch came from the kitchen when Wei bit into the fresh celery stick.
There was a sharp crunch as Diego stepped onto the fallen branch hidden in the leaves.
The crunch of dry snow under Lin's boots was the only sound in the empty street.
Hana loved the satisfying crunch of pickled vegetables in her lunchbox every day.
文法句型
the crunch of [material]
a + adjective + crunch
用法筆記
Typically used in singular form with 'the' or 'a' — for example, 'the crunch of gravel' or 'a satisfying crunch'. Often followed by 'of' plus the material that makes the sound.
2. a situation in which someone is forced to make a difficult choice because existi
a situation in which someone is forced to make a difficult choice because existing arrangements have become unworkable
The manager faced a crunch when two equally strong candidates applied for the same position.
pattern: face a crunch when...
The hospital faced a crunch when several nurses called in sick at the same time.
pattern: face a crunch when [event]
The owner faced a real crunch when the head chef quit just before the holiday season.
Facing a crunch over which university to attend, Priya compared each program carefully.
Omar found himself in a real crunch when both his car and his laptop broke down.
- crisis
a more serious and dangerous situation, often with wider impact
- dilemma
a difficult choice between two options, not necessarily due to pressure
- predicament
an unpleasant situation that is hard to get out of
- solution
an answer that resolves the difficulty
文法句型
a + adjective + crunch
face a crunch
用法筆記
Describes a specific difficult situation that forces a decision — not an ongoing shortage of a resource. For resource-shortage compounds such as 'credit crunch', 'housing crunch', or 'cash crunch', see sense 5 (SHORTAGE). This sense does not form compounds with resource nouns.
常見錯誤
3. the moment when a situation reaches its most serious point and a choice or actio
the moment when a situation reaches its most serious point and a choice or action can no longer be postponed
When it came to the crunch, Maria chose to resign rather than fire her team members.
fixed phrase: when it comes to the crunch
If the crunch comes and we cannot pay the rent, we will stay with my parents.
fixed phrase: if the crunch comes
At the crunch, the politician finally admitted that the plan had not been fully prepared.
The crunch arrived when both suppliers demanded payment before the end of the month.
Chen knew that when the crunch came, only the most hard-working students would pass.
- moment of truth
the point when something important is revealed or decided
- showdown
a final confrontation, more combative than a crunch
文法句型
when it comes to the crunch
at the crunch
if the crunch comes
用法筆記
Almost always used in fixed expressions: 'when it comes to the crunch', 'if/when the crunch comes', or 'at the crunch'. The definite article is required — never 'a crunch' in this sense.
4. a physical exercise done while lying on the back with knees bent, lifting the sh
a physical exercise done while lying on the back with knees bent, lifting the shoulders slightly off the floor to strengthen the stomach muscles
The fitness instructor asked the class to do three sets of fifteen crunches each.
pattern: do + number + crunches
Aisha felt her stomach muscles burn after twenty crunches on the gym mat.
Doing crunches every morning helped Pablo improve his posture within a few weeks.
The trainer showed Yuna the correct form for crunches to avoid back strain.
Lying on the blue mat, the students began their crunches while the music played.
- sit-up
a fuller movement where the whole back leaves the floor, working more muscle groups
文法句型
do + number + crunches
a set of crunches
用法筆記
Countable — you do 'a crunch' or 'crunches'. A crunch is different from a sit-up: in a crunch only the shoulders lift off the floor, while the lower back stays down, targeting the upper abdominal muscles more directly.
常見錯誤
5. a situation in which there is not enough of a specific resource — such as money,
a situation in which there is not enough of a specific resource — such as money, housing, or fuel — creating financial or operational pressure
The oil crunch of the 1970s led to long lines at petrol stations across the country.
collocation: oil crunch
A severe housing crunch in the city has pushed rental prices beyond reach for many people.
collocation: housing crunch
The water crunch became so bad that the town banned outdoor use of hoses.
A cash crunch forced the small business to delay payments to its part-time workers.
During the energy crunch, families were asked to turn down their heaters at night.
文法句型
a + [resource] + crunch
用法筆記
Always paired with a specific resource noun before it: 'oil crunch', 'credit crunch', 'housing crunch', 'cash crunch', 'budget crunch', 'energy crunch', 'staffing crunch'. Unlike sense 2 (DIFFICULT SITUATION), which is about a general decision-pressure moment, this sense specifically describes a shortage of a particular resource.
crunch — verb
- crunchpresent simple I / you / we / they
- crunches3rd person singular
- crunching-ing form
- crunchedpast simple
1. to press or bite something hard so that it makes a loud, sharp, crushing sound,
to press or bite something hard so that it makes a loud, sharp, crushing sound, or to make such a sound while moving over a surface
The children crunched their breakfast cereal loudly while watching the morning cartoons.
transitive: crunch + food object
Santiago crunched the ice cube between his teeth and immediately regretted it.
Grandma's boots crunched the dried leaves as she walked across the garden path.
Kim crunched an apple during the exam and the sound echoed through the quiet room.
The tires crunched the loose stones on the mountain road as the jeep climbed higher.
文法句型
crunch + object (food / ice / leaves)
subject (boots / tires / teeth) + crunch + on [surface]
用法筆記
Describes both the action of crushing and the sound produced. Use transitively with a direct object ('crunch an apple') or intransitively describing the source of the sound ('the snow crunched under his boots'). The object should be something hard or crisp — soft items like bread or bananas do not 'crunch'.