1.  crunch(n = noun.event) - the sound of something crunching; "he heard the crunch of footsteps on the gravel path"
is a kind of noise
Derived form verb crunch₁

2.  crunch(n = noun.state) - a critical situation that arises because of a shortage (as a shortage of time or money or resources); "an end-of-the year crunch"; "a financial crunch"
is a kind of situation

3.  crunch(n = noun.act) compaction, crush - the act of crushing;
is a kind of compressing, compression
has particulars: grind, mill, pulverisation, pulverization
Derived form verb crunch₄

1.  crunch(v = verb.communication) crackle, scranch, scraunch - make a crushing noise; "his shoes were crunching on the gravel"
is one way to make noise, noise, resound
Derived form noun crunch₁
Sample sentences: Something ----s; Somebody ----s

2.  crunch(v = verb.contact) cranch, craunch, grind - press or grind with a crushing noise;
is one way to press
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something

3.  crunch(v = verb.consumption) munch - chew noisily; "The children crunched the celery sticks"
is one way to chew, jaw, manducate, masticate
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something

4.  crunch(v = verb.change) bray, comminute, grind, mash - reduce to small pieces or particles by pounding or abrading; "grind the spices in a mortar"; "mash the garlic"
is one way to break up, fragment, fragmentise, fragmentize
Derived form noun crunch₃
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something

1.  To chew with force and noise; to craunch. [1913 Webster]
"And their white tusks crunched o'er the whiter skull." [1913 Webster]

2.  To grind or press with violence and noise. [1913 Webster]
"The ship crunched through the ice." [1913 Webster]

3.  To emit a grinding or craunching noise. [1913 Webster]
"The crunching and ratting of the loose stones." [1913 Webster]

   To crush with the teeth; to chew with a grinding noise; to craunch; as, to crunch a biscuit. [1913 Webster]

crunch, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. a crush noisily with the teeth. b grind (gravel, dry snow, etc.) under foot, wheels, etc.
2 intr. (often foll. by up, through) make a crunching sound in walking, moving, etc.
--n.
1 crunching; a crunching sound.
2 colloq. a decisive event or moment.

Etymology:
earlier cra(u)nch, assim. to munch

VB  be disjoined, come off, fall off, come to pieces, fall to pieces, peel off, get loose, disjoin, disconnect, disengage, disunite, dissociate, dispair, divorce, part, dispart, detach, separate, cut off, rescind, segregate, set apart, keep apart, insulate, isolate, throw out of gear, cut adrift, loose, unloose, undo, unbind, unchain, unlock, unpack, unravel, disentangle, set free, sunder, divide, subdivide, sever, dissever, abscind, circumcise, cut, incide, incise, saw, snip, nib, nip, cleave, rive, rend, slit, split, splinter, chip, crack, snap, break, tear, burst, rend, rend asunder, rend in twain, wrench, rupture, shatter, shiver, cranch, crunch, craunch, chop, cut up, rip up, hack, hew, slash, whittle, haggle, hackle, discind, lacerate, scamble, mangle, gash, hash, slice, cut up, carve, dissect, anatomize, dislimb, take to pieces, pull to pieces, pick to pieces, tear to pieces, tear to tatters, tear piecemeal, tear limb from limb, divellicate, skin, disintegrate, dismember, disbranch, disband, disperse, dislocate, disjoint, break up, mince, comminute, apportion, part, part company, separate, leave.

VB  become small, become smaller, lessen, decrease, grow less, dwindle, shrink, contract, narrow, shrivel, collapse, wither, lose flesh, wizen, fall away, waste, wane, ebb, decay, be smaller than, fall short of, not come up to, render smaller, lessen, diminish, contract, draw in, narrow, coarctate, boil down, constrict, constringe, condense, compress, squeeze, corrugate, crimp, crunch, crush, crumple up, warp, purse up, pack, squeeze, stow, pinch, tighten, strangle, cramp, dwarf, bedwarf, shorten, circumscribe, restrain, (subtraction) 38 abrade, pare, reduce, attenuate, rub down, scrape, file, file down, grind, grind down, chip, shave, shear, wear down.

VB  eat, feed, fare, devour, swallow, take, gulp, bolt, snap, fall to, despatch, dispatch, discuss, take down, get down, gulp down, lay in, tuck in, lick, pick, peck, gormandize, bite, champ, munch, cranch, craunch, crunch, chew, masticate, nibble, gnaw, mumble, live on, feed upon, batten upon, fatten upon, feast upon, browse, graze, crop, regale, carouse, eat heartily, do justice to, play a good knife and fork, banquet, break bread, break one's fast, breakfast, lunch, dine, take tea, sup, drink in, drink up, drink one's fill, quaff, sip, sup, suck, suck up, lap, swig, swill, chugalug, tipple, empty one's glass, drain the cup, toss off, toss one's glass, wash down, crack a bottle, wet one's whistle, purvey.

VB  come to dust, be disintegrated, be reduced to powder reduce to powder, grind to powder, pulverize, comminute, granulate, triturate, levigate, scrape, file, abrade, rub down, grind, grate, rasp, pound, bray, bruise, contuse, contund, beat, crush, cranch, craunch, crunch, scranch, crumble, disintegrate, attenuate.

credit crunch, tummy crunch