crush

verb

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

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

4a : to suppress or overwhelm as if by pressure or weight

b : to oppress or burden grievously crushed by debt

c : to subdue completely The rebellion was crushed.

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

5 : crowd, push were crushed into the elevator

6 archaic : drink

intransitive verb

1 obsolete : crash

2 : to become crushed The stewed tomatoes crush easily.

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

crush

noun

Definition of crush (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an act of crushing

2 : the quantity of material crushed

3a : a crowding together (as of people)

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

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

Other Words from crush Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about crush

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Other words from crush

Verb

crushable \ˈkrə-shə-bəl

\ adjective

crusher noun

crushingly adverb

Noun

crushproof \ˈkrəsh-ˌprüf

\ adjective

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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Semien crushed it into the left field corner, a game-tying double to officially end Giles' outing. — Chandler Rome, Houston Chronicle, "Bizarre ending secures Astros' extra-innings victory over A's," 11 July 2018 Serena Williams is back at Wimbledon after the birth of her first child, Alexis Olympia, and so far, the 23-time Grand Slam champ has been crushing it on the court. — Julyssa Lopez, Glamour, "Serena Williams Said She Missed Her Daughter's First Footsteps, and Twitter Was Amazing About It," 8 July 2018 One of those beasts could crush me flat and not even notice. — Andrew Evans, chicagotribune.com, "Feel the pull of the prairie on a uniquely American safari in Montana," 5 July 2018 The nationally sought-after football talent who can crush your hand with a simple handshake comes second. — Justin Sayers, The Courier-Journal, "There's more than football to this 14-year-old rolling in scholarships," 27 June 2018 Say something nice to yourself right now, set a small goal for the week and then crush it! — Blake Bakkila, Health.com, "This Couple Lost a Combined 135 Pounds Together—Here’s How They Stay Healthy on Vacation," 27 June 2018 Now state and city governments are free to impose burdens that crush distant small businesses and there will be no political accountability—because the tax collectors will be oppressing people with no representation in the abusive jurisdiction. — James Freeman, WSJ, "When Will Washington Stop Helping Amazon?," 22 June 2018 Once cooled, coarsely crush them with a mortar and pestle (or just the flat side of a chef’s knife) and transfer to a large bowl. — Aliza Abarbanel, Bon Appetit, "Sorry, Hotdogs: These Grilled Carrots With Avocado Are My Perfect Summer Food," 18 June 2018 The report says Gonzalez got $200 for the car from a business that crushed it and sold to a business in Georgia. — David J. Neal, miamiherald, "He runs red lights regularly. He ran down a senior citizen in a hit-and-run, cops say," 14 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

This was someone Mirah had an actual, genuine crush on. — New York Times, "This Is What Happens When Friends Fall in Love," 6 July 2018 As for the cocktails, the Carola is a favorite: bourbon, Gran Classico, lime crush, and India pale ale. — Bon Appetit, "Himmeriget," 18 June 2018 Charlie, a YouTube star, has just broken up with a costar of her first movie, and runs into a girl she's had a long-time crush on. — Emily Ables, Seventeen, "15 Life-Changing Books You Have to Read This Summer," 31 May 2018 That feature allowed students to find out more about classmates, a utility whose appeal would be clear to anyone who has ever had a classroom crush. — Rob Curran, WSJ, "Venture Capitalists Talk About the Big Investments They Didn’t Make," 30 Apr. 2018 Each year’s crush of Very Important Cookbooks starts in the fall and heads into the holidays. — Bonnie S. Benwick, The Seattle Times, "7 new cookbooks good enough for a beach read," 2 July 2018 What ensues at home is nonetheless a frequent riot; even the mildly clichéd stuff with Violet and her crush is cute. — Richard Lawson, HWD, "Incredibles 2 Review: Superhero Action That’s Familiar, but Fantastic," 11 June 2018 Telma Ramirez made the trip from El Salvador to seek asylum in the United StatesShe arrived at the border in Tijuana with her 5-year-old son and year-old daughter, only to find a crush of others ahead of her. — The Christian Science Monitor, "Asylum-seekers line up at US-Mexico border," 8 June 2018 The Nevada Union High School grad, class of ’97, went to graduate school in Oregon and developed a young crush on Portland, a city that exuded style and energy. — Tony Bizjak And Ryan Lillis, sacbee, "THE ‘LADY BIRDS’ WHO FLEW HOME," 10 Feb. 2018

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.