crunches

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of crunch.

   He counted the crunches as he worked through his evening core routine.

   A series of dull crunches told us the press was still flattening the cans.

   Note

   One spelling serves two jobs here: crunches is also the present-tense verb, as in snow crunches underfoot. The -es ending follows the final ch, as with lunches and benches. As a plural noun it is usually something counted: sets of crunches in an abdominal workout, or a run of separate crackling sounds, each one a single crunch.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of crunch.

   Fresh snow crunches beneath every step on the early morning walk.

   The analyst crunches the quarterly figures before each board meeting.

   Note

   The verb works with or without an object, and this form shows both uses. Snow crunches underfoot on its own, while an analyst crunches the figures. That second use comes from crunching numbers, slang presumed to echo the clatter of mechanical calculators. A driver who crunches the gears has released the clutch before they were properly synchronized.

Showing meanings only. Show all 2