crunch times

noun

plural of crunch time
as in crises
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action with only three minutes left in the game, it was definitely crunch time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of crunch times In crunch times, our duties overlap. — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch times
  1. crises
  2. crossroads
  3. boiling points
  4. flash points
  5. heads
Noun
  • Africa's most populous country will hold the election against a backdrop of worsening economic and security crises that have caused anger among voters against Tinubu's government.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The sharp increase in the need for mental health services, along with the wave of police reforms, spurred departments nationwide to find better ways to respond to personal crises.
    — Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of crises
Noun
  • With light rail plans possibly in the works, Atlanta is at a crossroads.
    — Sara Gregory, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • In the way that Malta has long lived at the crossroads of Europe, so too does the characterful 17-room property.
    — Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of crossroads
Noun
  • The intense temperature and pressure of the impact heated the moon's crust and mantle so much that many of the volatile elements present (volatiles are elements with low boiling points), including potassium, evaporated and escaped into space.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Thermodynamics drives selective recovery The researchers hypothesized that FJH combined with chlorine gas could exploit differences in Gibbs free energy and boiling points to selectively remove non-REE elements from magnet waste.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2025
Definition of boiling points
Noun
  • And it’s been one of the country’s most visible flash points in the race to build new critical-mineral mines.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Kashmir remains one of the world’s most contentious geopolitical flash points.
    — Peter Dziedzic, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
Definition of flash points
Noun
  • Their heads are broad and coppery in color, and their eyes have vertical, catlike pupils.
    — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Given that characterization, Giacometti-heads will likely fork over serious dough for this work, especially given its provenance.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of heads

Browse Nearby Words

crunch time
crunch times
crunchy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crunch times.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch%20times. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of devolve

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All