crunch (redirected from crunches)

if/when it comes to the crunch

if you talk about what someone will do if it comes to the crunch, you mean what they will do if a situation becomes serious or they have to make an important decision. If it comes to the crunch, will she play well enough to win?

See also: come

number crunching

a number cruncher - someone whose job is to work with numbers and mathematics. She's useless with figures - it's her assistant who does all the number crunching for her.

See also: number

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when it comes to the crunch

when a situation becomes serious or an important decision has to be made. You know that when it comes to the crunch, she will do what needs to be done.

Usage notes: also used in the form at crunch time with the same meaning: She's the kind of player who's going to score at crunch time.

See also: come