intransitive verb, transitive verb

1. to bite or chew with a noisy, crackling sound
2. to press, grind, tread, fall, etc. with a noisy, crushing sound
3. Informal to process (a vast quantity of numbers or other data) rapidly using a computer to crunch population statistics

Etymology: earlier craunch, of echoic orig.

noun

1. the act or sound of crunching
2. an exercise much like a sit-up, in which the upper body is raised only slightly off the floor rather than to an upright position
3. ☆ Informal a tight situation; specif., an economic squeeze
4. ☆ Slang a showdown