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

Synonyms for crush

Synonyms: Verb

mash, pulp, squash

Synonyms: Noun

infatuation, mash, passion

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

On Monday, the military had had enough and moved to crush the protest movement, overrunning the main sit-in site in the capital, unleashing furious volleys of gunfire, beating protesters with sticks and burning down tents. — Washington Post, "Moon sightings, politics play a part in Muslim holiday," 5 June 2019 No one knows how many died — the official count is a secret — but it’s widely believed that hundreds if not thousands were slaughtered as soldiers moved to crush the seven-week democracy movement. — Laignee Barron / Hong Kong, Time, "30 Years Later, Hong Kong Still Harbors the Spirit of Tiananmen," 4 June 2019 In the early hours of June 4, 1989, armed troops moved to crush the uprising, killing hundreds if not thousands. — latimes.com, "Today: The Echoes of Tiananmen," 3 June 2019 For one, her Fenty Beauty brand continues to crush the makeup game with a slew of dynamic, shade-inclusive products. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "Of Course Rihanna Performed Her Own Song at Karaoke Last Night," 3 Apr. 2019 That includes the upstart far-right Vox party, which is hoping to increase voter support with a pledge to crush the separatist movement by stripping Catalonia’s regional government of its powers and recentralizing control in Madrid, the capital. — Joseph Wilson, The Seattle Times, "Spain’s new far-right campaigns to stop Catalan separatists," 30 Mar. 2019 Many thought Ross wanted girls to pretend to like things to get a guy to crush on them, or even dumb themselves down so guys can feel like teachers. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "10 Things Guys Look for in Girls," 6 Nov. 2018 With these new business opportunities, Amazon Fashion is out to crush the apparel game. — Marina Liao, Marie Claire, "Amazon Fashion Now Sells J.Crew Clothes for Both Men and Women," 5 Sep. 2018 Massive capitalistic forces are threatening to crush the little guy. — Julia Felsenthal, Vogue, "Parker Posey’s Excellent New Memoir Is an Ode to Eccentricity," 26 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In Act 2, Litka exudes a wealth of emotions, at times without saying or singing a word (such as when her crush elopes with Jane) along the journey to becoming a believable, yet still sympathetic Gypsy Rose Lee. — Patti Restivo, baltimoresun.com, "2nd Star Production's 'Gypsy' turns it on and takes it off," 6 June 2019 This is a main determinant behind Andrew Zimmern’s major crush on the restaurant. — Derek Herscovici, al.com, "5 recipes for popular restaurant barbecue accompaniments," 4 June 2019 Even Sandy Bullock, literally Miss Congeniality, has a crush on him. — Anna Moeslein, Glamour, "An Ode to Keanu Reeves, the One Man in Hollywood We Can All Agree On," 1 June 2019 While Willie had a crush on Christina right away, she was obsessed with another boy in her class named Mark Kossick — who would later be the best man at their wedding. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'Today' Star Willie Geist and His Wife Have, Hands Down, the Craziest Love Story in the World," 9 May 2019 Part of having a celeb crush is obsessively following their dating life, or at least being aware of what's going on in it. — Jasmine Gomez, Seventeen, "Here's Why All The Members Of BTS Are Single," 9 May 2019 Someone from the crew mentions that the very handsome young John Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg, son of Caroline, reportedly has a crush on her half-sister Kendall, and Kim’s eyes twinkle at the prospect of colluding over some dynastic matchmaking. — Jonathan Van Meter, Vogue, "The Awakening of Kim Kardashian West," 10 Apr. 2019 According to royal biographer Katie Nicholl, Kate had a huge crush on Andrew at the time. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "The First Boy to Ever Break Kate Middleton's Heart Grew Up to Be an Actor on 'Downton Abbey'," 16 Mar. 2019 Of course, these two don't get together right away: Brooks has a crush on a rich girl named Shelby (Camila Mendes), and Celia starts liking a music nerd named Franklin (Blaine Kern III). — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Laura Marano Is a New Kind of Romantic Comedy Heroine in Netflix's The Perfect Date," 12 Apr. 2019

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.