crush

verb

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\ ˈkrəsh

crushed; crushing; crushes

Definition of crush

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to squeeze or force by pressure so as to alter or destroy structure crush grapes

b : to squeeze together into a mass She crushed her clothes into a bag.

2 : to reduce to particles by pounding or grinding crush rock

3a : to subdue completely The rebellion was crushed.

b : to cause overwhelming emotional pain to (someone) Her insults crushed him.

c : to oppress or burden grievously crushed by debt

d : to suppress or overwhelm as if by pressure or weight

4 : crowd, push were crushed into the elevator

5 : hug, embrace She crushed her child to her breast.

6 archaic : drink

intransitive verb

1 : to advance with or as if with crushing The crowd crushed ruthlessly toward the exit.

2 : to become crushed The stewed tomatoes crush easily.

3 obsolete : crash

4 informal : to experience an intense and usually passing infatuation : to have a crush on someone —usually used with on She's been crushing on him all summer.Turns out Fat Monica was motivated to lose all the weight after she overhead Chandler (whom she was crushing on) tell Ross: "I don't want to be stuck here all night with your fat sister." — Entertainment Weekly

crush

noun

Definition of crush (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an intense and usually passing infatuation have a crush on someone also : the object of infatuation

2a : crowd, mob especially : a crowd of people pressing against one another

b : a crowding together (as of people)

3 : an act of crushing

4 : the quantity of material crushed

Other Words from crush Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Phrases Containing crush Learn More About crush

Other Words from crush

Verb

crushable \ ˈkrə-shə-bəl

\ adjective

crusher noun

crushingly adverb

Noun

crushproof \ ˈkrəsh-ˌprüf

\ adjective

Synonyms for crush

Synonyms: Verb

Synonyms: Noun

Choose the Right Synonym for crush

Noun

crowd, throng, horde, crush, mob mean an assembled multitude. crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together. a crowd gathered throng and horde suggest movement and pushing. a throng of reporters a horde of shoppers crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort. a crush of fans mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence. an angry mob

Examples of crush in a Sentence

Verb Unfortunately some of the flowers got crushed when we were moving them. The bicycle was crushed under the truck's tires. The machine crushes the cans so that they can be stored until they are recycled. Her arm was crushed in the accident. Crush the nuts and sprinkle them on top of the cake. The rocks were crushed into dust. Noun Yesterday I saw my old high school crush for the first time in five years. The crush in the train station is at its worst during the afternoon rush hour. Outside the hotel stood a crush of reporters waiting for her arrival. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb In other words, these people make sure your house doesn’t slide down the hill and crush the ones below it. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2022 Place tomatoes in a medium bowl and crush with your hands into small pieces. — Shreyas Laddha, Hartford Courant, 9 Sep. 2022 Orlando also recommends residents crush plastic jars and jugs, such as gallon milk cartons, to prevent bears and other animals from getting their heads stuck inside. — Martin E. Comas, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Sep. 2022 But the granules must meet certain criteria for size, shape and hardness — or crush resistance. — Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 1 Sep. 2022 Since February, the West has unleashed an unprecedented barrage of sanctions that some thought would crush Russia’s economy. — Daniel Treisman, CNN, 22 Aug. 2022 Kaling and Fisher never worried that Ramakrishnan had the talent, only that the pressure of carrying a major production—and the livelihoods of its cast and crew—might crush her. — ELLE, 12 Aug. 2022 Here are four ways to meet—and even crush—your growth marketing goals. — John Hall, Forbes, 24 July 2022 Instead, inflation might gradually recede, as the higher borrowing costs engineered by the Fed restrain but don’t crush consumer spending and business investment. — Larry Edelman, BostonGlobe.com, 19 June 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Bass, who had a crush on Fishel, had his bandmate mate Justin Timberlake ask Fishel for her phone number. — Jessica Wang, EW.com, 29 Aug. 2022 Sparks fly almost instantly when the two share a class together, with the minor complication that Kelsa's friend (Courtnee Carter) also has a crush on him. — Brian Lowry, CNN, 22 July 2022 And things are tricky for Kelsa, since one of her best friends, Em (Courtnee Carter), also has a crush on Khal. — Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 July 2022 And while Rio has a crush on Tokyo, their relationship shares none of the animalistic lust that fueled some of the most thrilling plotlines in the Spanish series. — Jae Ha Kim, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2022 Diana visited Winston Churchill’s Chartwell home as an adolescent and was friends with his son Randolph (who had a crush on Diana). — Emma Fraser, Town & Country, 11 June 2022 Your husband obviously has a crush on this young, pretty neighbor. — Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 1 June 2022 Bran and her best friend both have crushes on Peter, who in turn has a crush on someone named Yasira. — New York Times, 17 May 2022 Bobbi has a crush on Melissa, but Frances is inexorably drawn to Nick—a fascination that quickly gives way to an all-consuming affair. — Keely Weiss, ELLE, 16 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crush.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

25 Sep 2022

Cite this Entry

“Crush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crush. Accessed 30 Sep. 2022.

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More Definitions for crush

crush

verb

\ ˈkrəsh

crushed; crushing

Kids Definition of crush

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to squeeze together so as to change or destroy the natural shape or condition We crush grapes for their juice.

2 : to break into fine pieces by pressure The machine crushes stone.

3 : overwhelm sense 1 crush an enemy

4 : to defeat in spirit The injury crushed her hopes of winning.

crush

noun

Kids Definition of crush (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a tightly packed crowd He got caught in the crush of holiday shoppers.

2 : a foolish or very strong liking : infatuation Libby has a crush on a lifeguard named Freddie.— Judy Blume, Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great