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 onShe'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 Learn More about crush

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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 For the fiscal year to date, California’s revenue collections are running $12.4 billion above the state’s dismal projection issued back in May, when state officials feared the coronavirus pandemic and economic shutdowns would crush its economy. — Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, "Well, That’s a Relief," 22 Dec. 2020 Dull knives make messy cuts, crush food and leave flavor on the cutting board. — Marni Jameson, orlandosentinel.com, "The cutting edge ― Part 2: What’s the best kitchen knife?," 18 Dec. 2020 The event came as Southern California plummets to almost 0% ICU capacity and coronavirus case counts crush daily records. — Los Angeles Times, "Christmas singalong organized by Kirk Cameron draws hundreds of mostly maskless people — and criticism," 16 Dec. 2020 Dull knives make messy cuts, crush food, and leave flavor on the cutting board. — Marni Jameson | Contributing Writer, NOLA.com, "Bevel, tang and more: Some terms you should know before choosing the best knives for your kitchen," 15 Dec. 2020 President Trump and his aides have argued the opposite — that Mr. Biden’s plan would crush American companies and the economy. — Jim Tankersley, New York Times, "The Quiet Architect of Biden’s Plan to Rescue the Economy," 2 Nov. 2020 The former Vice President is running as a reassuring moderate, a man of good character who can reunite the country and crush Covid-19 after the disruptive Trump Presidency. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "The Biden Contradiction," 29 Oct. 2020 The zoo’s behemoth pachyderms got to stomp, crush and devour several giant pumpkins. — oregonlive, "Oregon Zoo elephants devour giant pumpkins in annual Squishing of the Squash," 23 Oct. 2020 Rail services across Britain are struggling with the mounting financial burden of the coronavirus crisis, which has depleted ridership as health concerns crush demand. — Anthony Palazzo, Bloomberg.com, "Wales to Nationalize Rail Network Hit by Covid Effects," 22 Oct. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Authorities pressed to reactivate field hospitals previously mothballed just to handle the crush of new patients. — Pan Pylas, ajc, "UK in 'eye of the storm' amid surging new coronavirus cases," 1 Jan. 2021 The new restrictions come as officials scramble to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases during the holiday season that has renewed fears about how the state’s healthcare system will handle a crush of new patients. — Los Angeles Times, "Angry parents won’t let officials slide over closed playgrounds, packed malls," 3 Dec. 2020 With some of those teams sidelined during the pandemic, Gilbert said, some of that medical staff is helping handle the crush of urgent care patients. — Meredith Cohn, baltimoresun.com, "MedStar expands urgent care network in Maryland as coronavirus patients surge," 1 Dec. 2020 The family’s attorney intends to prove that Publix’s mask ban caused Gutierrez’s death, but experts say the case is unlikely to lead to a crush of lawsuits, even as COVID-19 numbers climb. — Ron Hurtibise, sun-sentinel.com, "Publix blamed for worker’s COVID-19 death, but lawsuits face long odds," 24 Nov. 2020 The rail service often brings in extra workers to manage the crush of passengers at Union Station, but this year will be different. — Washington Post, "Planning on Thanksgiving holiday travel? Many in the D.C. area are staying put.," 23 Nov. 2020 State and local health officers are concerned that California communities will succumb to a national crush of cases that are overwhelming hospitals in some parts of the country. — Erin Allday, SFChronicle.com, "Contra Costa, Santa Cruz counties move backward on California’s tiered reopening plan," 10 Nov. 2020 Others have slow-closing drop leaves to prevent crush injuries. — Sian Babish, chicagotribune.com, "The best kids’ desk and chair set," 23 Dec. 2020 There are signs at least that the post-Thanksgiving crush is starting to slow down, and that the regional stay-at-home order, which went into effect in the vast majority of the state two and a half weeks ago, may be dampening the spread of disease. — Erin Allday, SFChronicle.com, "‘Dangerous time’: Some Bay Area hospitals close to running out of ICU beds as death tolls near records," 23 Dec. 2020

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.