crunches

A noisy crackling sound; the sound usually associated with crunching.

A critical moment or event.

A problem that leads to a crisis.

(exercise) A form of abdominal exercise, based on a sit-up but in which the lower back remains in contact with the floor.

The overtime work required to catch up and finish a project, usually in the final weeks of development before release.

A dessert consisting of a crunchy topping with fruit underneath.

(generally in the plural) A small piece created by crushing; a piece of material with a friable or crunchy texture.

To crush something, especially food, with a noisy crackling sound.

“When I came home, Susan was watching TV with her feet up on the couch, crunching a piece of celery.”

To be crushed with a noisy crackling sound.

“Beetles crunched beneath the men's heavy boots as they worked.”

To calculate or otherwise process (e.g. to crunch numbers: to perform mathematical calculations). Presumably from the sound made by mechanical calculators.

“That metadata makes it much easier for the search engine to crunch the data for queries.”

To grind or press with violence and noise.

To emit a grinding or crunching noise.

To compress (data) using a particular algorithm, so that it can be restored by decrunching.

To make employees work overtime in order to meet a deadline in the development of a project.