# crunching

/ˈkɹəntʃɪŋ/ (US) · /kɹˈʌntʃɪŋ/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/crunching
Updated: 2026-05-08

## Definition

to make a loud, cracking sound by crushing something hard, like when you bite into a fresh apple or walk on dry leaves. It can also mean processing a lot of numbers or data very quickly.

For teachers: to crush something with a noisy, crackling sound, typically using the teeth or feet; also used figuratively to describe the rapid processing of large quantities of numerical data. The present participle form is frequently used as an adjective to describe the sound itself.

## Examples

- The dry leaves are crunching under my boots.
- The supercomputer spent the entire weekend crunching the latest climate data to predict the path of the storm.
- While the analyst was busy crunching the quarterly figures, the only sound in the office was the rhythmic crunching of his colleagues snacking on carrot sticks.

## Usage notes

- Transitive when processing data; often intransitive when describing a sound produced by movement.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.