cruncher

plural crunchers

1. A person or thing that crunches.

   Even in this hypothetical case, the misapprehension would have to be temporary because something — a noise from the next room, the need to turn pages, dust floating in the projection beam, a noisy cruncher of popcorn — would surely […]

   1992, Michael Dunne, Metapop, page 190

2. informalA difficult point; the crux of something.

   2022, Dale Mayer, SEALs of Honor: Bronson But I always feel like there was more I could have done, if he would have let me, and of course that's the cruncher. He just wouldn't let me.