# crunch

> English word · Verb · IPA /kɹʌnt͡ʃ/ · frequency rank #11,861

## Definitions
1. To crush something, especially food, with a noisy crackling sound.
2. To be crushed with a noisy crackling sound.
3. To calculate or otherwise process (e.g. to crunch numbers: to perform mathematical calculations). Presumably from the sound made by mechanical calculators.
4. To grind or press with violence and noise.
5. To emit a grinding or crunching noise.
6. To cause the gears to emit a crunching sound by releasing the clutch before the gears are properly synchronised.
7. To compress (data) using a particular algorithm, so that it can be restored by decrunching.
8. To make employees work overtime in order to meet a deadline in the development of a project.

## Etymology
From earlier craunch, cranch, of imitative origin.

## Easily confused with
- **crush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crunch-vs-crush)
- **crutch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crunch-vs-crutch)
- **crunchy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crunch-vs-crunchy)
- **crunches** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crunch-vs-crunches)
- **crunched** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crunch-vs-crunched)
- **couch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/couch-vs-crunch)
- **conch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/conch-vs-crunch)
- **cinch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cinch-vs-crunch)
- **church** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/church-vs-crunch)
- **clutch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clutch-vs-crunch)
- **clinch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clinch-vs-crunch)
- **crotch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crotch-vs-crunch)
- **crouch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crouch-vs-crunch)
- **clench** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clench-vs-crunch)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ccrunch`, `crnuch`, `crrunch`, `crucnh`, `cruncch`, `crunchh`, `crunhc`, `crunnch`, `curnch`, `rcunch`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/crunch