squashing

verb

present participle of squash
1
as in crushing
to cause to become a pulpy mass the sort of person who couldn't even squash a bug

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in suppressing
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force squashed any effort to reform the country's power structure

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 squashing And Jason Momoa, who recently starred in the game-to-movie blockbuster A Minecraft Movie, appeared to be the best guy to put behind the sci-fi series’ big, bug-squashing hand cannons. — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026 Speakers also recounted the resignation from Congress of Marjorie Taylor Greene in January, maintaining that the Republican Party is squashing its anti-Israel voices, while the Democratic Party is electing them. — Joseph Strauss, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2026 Imagine if Jeff Bezos got bored just owning The Washington Post, firing hundreds of writers and squashing the freedom of its opinion section, and decided to join the American forces parachuting into Venezuela or Iran, only to ignore their orders and seize some prisoners on his own. — Literary Hub, 21 May 2026 Morris fell on top of her, knees spread to keep from squashing Dinah’s chest and maybe killing her. — Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026 Tourists can threaten ecosystems by compacting soils, squashing fragile vegetation and bringing in non-native microbes and plant species. — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 8 May 2026 The actor ended up growing a beard and added some makeup, squashing most concerns that his cover might be blown. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 7 May 2026 Despite squashing his beef with his former crew, Bam Margera will not be back for new stunts, but there will be archival footage of him and Ryan Dunn. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026 Here’s to the people who strive and persevere and realize their dreams, without squashing the dignity of others. — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squashing
  1. crushing
  2. suppressing
  3. mashing
  4. quelling
  5. squeezing
  6. subduing
  7. repressing
  8. quashing
Verb
  • Cristobal and the Canes are crushing recruiting by every conceivable metric, which should terrify the rest of the country.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Built to harvest relentless ocean breezes, these megastructures face a constant battle against heavy winds and crushing waves.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026
Definition of crushing
Verb
  • Jokes about Modi were rare during earlier protests, when his government was criticized for suppressing dissent.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
  • The idea is to enable riders to accelerate earlier and utilize more of the motorcycle’s capabilities when traction gets erratic rather than just suppressing wheelspin.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 July 2026
Definition of suppressing
Verb
  • Begin by mashing the garlic and a bit of salt with the flat side of a chef’s knife, then work in the basil in handfuls until finely chopped.
    — Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, 25 July 2026
  • The outrage last night over Bryson mashing down the wheat field behind his ball was hilarious.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of mashing
Verb
  • Aside from Spain’s progress in quelling the fires this week, there are still active fires in France to consider, since the particulate matter could continue drifting across large portions of its neighboring nation.
    — T. Michelle Murphy, Time, 29 July 2026
  • Other ubiquitous Chinese deities, such as the regal Jade Emperor, the faithful warrior Guan Yu, the wondrous savior Mazu, and the demon-quelling Zhong Kui, fill both the popular imagination and the stuff of Daoist ritual.
    — Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
Definition of quelling
Verb
  • The depreciation has sounded alarm bells in Tokyo, with rising import costs squeezing businesses and consumers.
    — Mia Glass, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • By squeezing the blocks together with the sample in the center, scientists apply an immense amount of pressure on it.
    — Robin Macaluso, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeezing
Verb
  • This means the market makers, often called dealers, are the ones that have to play catch-up, adding to volatility instead of subduing it.
    — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 23 July 2026
  • Rome — The death of a Moroccan man in police custody has sparked protests – some violent – in the northern city of Bologna after video of the incident showing officers forcefully subduing the man circulated online.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Definition of subduing
Verb
  • When elites are strong, dictators need to accommodate them, often by repressing outsiders to shield insiders from potential challenges.
    — José Kaire, The Conversation, 17 July 2026
  • Normally, this modifier gene suppresses the creation of a second kind of hemoglobin, typically made only during fetal development; repressing the gene prompts cells to start making the fetal form of hemoglobin again, which acts as a backup.
    — Roxanne Khamsi, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Definition of repressing
Verb
  • Corinaldesi ruled out layoffs or redundancies, quashing the concerns of local trade union Filcams Cgil over the fate of the 200 workers employed by LuisaViaRoma at the time.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 July 2026
  • Countries that agree effectively accept Beijing’s claims of authority, quashing Tibetan exile activities within their borders.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 July 2026
Definition of quashing

Browse Nearby Words

squashes
squashing
squashy
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Cite this Entry

“Squashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squashing. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on squashing

Nglish: Translation of squashing for Spanish Speakers

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