crush 1 of 2

verb

ˈkrəsh How to pronounce crush (audio)
Definition of crushnext
1
as in to mash
to cause to become a pulpy mass dark-colored grapes that will be crushed to make red wine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to quell
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force the government is doing everything to crush the latest guerrilla uprising

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to grind
to reduce to fine particles crushed the baby's medicine tablet and mixed it with applesauce

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress the terrible news of her death simply crushed the entire family

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in to squeeze
to apply external pressure on so as to force out the juice or contents of after crushing the grapes, let the skins soak in the juice in order to extract some color

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6
as in to cram
to fit (people or things) into a tight space the desperate refugees were crushed into the back of the truck

Synonyms & Similar Words
7
as in to hug
to put one's arms around and press tightly she tearfully crushed the child to her breast

Synonyms & Similar Words

crush

2 of 2

noun

1
as in passion
a strong but often short-lived liking for another person fondly remembers the crush that she had on a boy one summer long ago

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in swarm
a great number of persons or creatures massed together the huge crush in the store must have far exceeded safety limits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun crush differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of crush are crowd, horde, mob, and throng. While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

When might crowd be a better fit than crush?

While the synonyms crowd and crush are close in meaning, crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

When is mob a more appropriate choice than crush?

The words mob and crush can be used in similar contexts, but mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

How do throng and horde relate to one another, in the sense of crush?

Both throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters
a horde of shoppers

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 crush
Verb
McLoughlin was buried up to his elbows, slowly being crushed under the weight, and recalled hearing Pezzulo take his last breath—but not before firing a single shot into the air to alert any rescuers to their location. — ArsTechnica, 20 Aug. 2026 Earlier this week, Josh Bell stood in a quiet clubhouse after a crushing Minnesota Twins loss and spoke of hope. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Noun
Each presents a group portrait of a handful of disaffected British suburbanites—husbands who resent their deadening jobs, toddlers who whine and interrupt, and, above all, hassled wives subsumed by a crush of household obligations. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 The horror film, which premiered on May 15 and is now available to stream on Peacock, centers on Bear (Michael Johnston) who has a crush on his co-worker and friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette). — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crush
  1. mash
  2. quell
  3. grind
  4. overwhelm
  5. squeeze
  6. cram
  7. hug
  8. passion
Verb
  • Creamy and smooth in texture, almost nutty in flavor, avocados are delectable, whether mashed into guacamole, blended into smoothies, or sliced onto salads, tacos, or, of course, toast.
    — Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The genre-mashing cult series starred Cole as Jughead Jones and filmed in Vancouver from 2016-2023.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of mash
Verb
  • Therefore, ambient devices do have some positive benefits and have helped quell many practical issues.
    — Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Flock’s new privacy reforms do little to quell outrage among vandals targeting its traffic surveillance cameras.
    — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of quell
Verb
  • The intricacies of the interpersonal dynamics and conversational turns in the scene ground the dispute in emotion, and two characters who were once at odds find common ground.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Kruz and Josie catch the guy’s eye on the dance floor and invite him to join their impromptu grinding session, which is also when Joe catches the pair touching in a way that suggests relationship-level familiarity.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of grind
Verb
  • Ukraine has increasingly launched swarms of hundreds of drones in an attempt to overwhelm Russian air defenses.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Those wanting to dip their toe for the first time in either genre won’t be overwhelmed.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of overwhelm
Verb
  • Questions no longer centre on marking this era with a trophy, but on how much juice is left to squeeze.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • To protect a specific area, such as a garden, Parker recommends properly installing snake fencing made from quarter-inch hardware cloth, which can help keep even newborn copperheads from squeezing through.
    — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • Hundreds of people crammed into the school gym that April evening, and the debate over Point Reyes agitated into a low boil.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Streams of cool kids dressed in all-black tank tops, slip dresses and leather pants crammed into the old town, sipping cocktails as DJs slid faders.
    — Kyle MacNeill, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of cram
Verb
  • Many of those in attendance brought their own stories of mental health crises of their own or loved ones, with individuals in the crowd hugging and sharing with each other after the moment of silence Thursday.
    — Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The park hugs 118 winding miles of the Rio Grande, nearly a quarter of the international boundary patrolled by Customs and Border Protection in the much larger Big Bend Sector.
    — Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of hug
Noun
  • Leo Tolstoy’s masterful epic—or one of them, at least—is about one woman’s scandals, passions, and ultimate tragedy, all set amid the tumult of late-19th century Russia.
    — Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Reading gains remain minimal even though effective teaching of foundational skills could turn results around quickly, that is my professional passion.
    — Olivia Young, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of passion

Browse Nearby Words

cruses
crush
crushable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crush. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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