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squash

verb

ˈskwäsh How to pronounce squash (audio)
Definition of squashnext
1
as in to mash
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 to quell
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 squash The Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday squashed Republicans‘ plans to implement a new congressional map before November, ruling voters must first decide on whether to approve the new district lines. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 3 Sep. 2026 Place squash in a single layer on a large baking sheet or shallow baking pan. — Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Aug. 2026 Designed to cut down on bulk, these cubes use a handy zipper system that squashes down the clothing inside each cube. — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2026 Doesn’t change that Seattle can run the ball, hit you for explosive pass plays and, defensively, squash you. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for squash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squash
  1. mash
  2. quell
  3. crush
  4. suppress
  5. pulp
  6. subdue
  7. squeeze
  8. quash
Verb
  • Just take his February fall collection, which mashed up decades of American glamour with a sneaky British twinge.
    — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The most efficient way to play the game is to mash the light attack button until an enemy staggers, execute a finisher to get your health back, and repeat.
    — Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of mash
Verb
  • So playing Blackjack at home quells some of their desire to do something catastrophic.
    — Marah Eakin, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
  • State and local officials and several of Wells’ white friends who had become the target of that speculation had hoped that the grand jury report would quell critics.
    — Sophie Bates, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of quell
Verb
  • Meanwhile, local Church leaders hope the pope's visit will repair the Church's standing after a crushing 2021 report found that some 330,000 French children had been abused by Catholic clergy and lay leaders over seven decades.
    — Joshua McElwee, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The blast shattered windows, damaged a nearby church and crushed parked cars; officials had not determined the cause, though local reports pointed to a possible gas leak.
    — Lefteris Pitarakis, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of crush
Verb
  • The system is designed to amplify speech while using machine learning to suppress background noise.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026
  • When the skin’s community of protective bacteria was suppressed with antibiotics, the frogs became more likely to develop signs of disease.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • As a result, these books might end up in a landfill, or, depending on their bindings, get broken down and pulped for recycling, or perhaps shredded.
    — Francesca Mancino, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026
  • All remaining copies of the first printing were subsequently pulped in Britain.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of pulp
Verb
  • The first officer unsuccessfully attempted to subdue Dzananovic four times with a stun gun during the arrest, police said.
    — Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Hogan added that the market could experience more trading days like this sporadically over the coming months if sentiment remains subdued amid tensions in the Middle East.
    — Sean Conlon, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of subdue
Verb
  • To close deals, some US homebuilders are resorting to price cuts and mortgage rate buy downs to attract buyers, squeezing profit margins that are already compressed by high raw material, labor, and financing expenses.
    — , CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Mounting losses, bankruptcies Besides the cost of raw materials, there are many other factors squeezing farmers.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • This new paper highlights a number of topics where scientists might best fill the vacuum created by the White House’s report-quashing actions.
    — Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Merz quashed talk within the press and his own party about his possible resignation despite Sunday's losses for his party just two weeks after a crushing defeat in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
    — Esme Nicholson, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of quash

Browse Nearby Words

squarish
squash
squashed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Squash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squash. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on squash

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about squash

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