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

Yes, Blue Ivy makes an appearance—crushing some choreography with her mom. — Natasha Reda, Glamour, "It Sure Looks Like Netflix Just Announced a Beyoncé Special," 8 Apr. 2019 In 2013, Elisabeth was reportedly dismissed from The View, a move that crushed the former Survivor contestant. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "‘The View’ Fans Shocked at EXPLOSIVE Audio of Elisabeth Hasselbeck After a Feud With Barbara Walters," 5 Apr. 2019 Classic bark gets a wintery makeover with white chocolate, peppermint, and crushed cookies. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "White Peppermint Bark," 30 Nov. 2018 One of the women in the triangle is Lady Sarah Churchill (perennial woman crush Rachel Weisz), the Duchess of Marlborough and wife of the Duke of Marlborough, who is always conveniently away at battle. — Cady Drell, Marie Claire, "What Is The Favourite Movie About? It's a Rom-Com of a Sort," 23 Feb. 2019 Nosedive just isn’t soul-crushing and grim enough to reflect Black Mirror the show. — Tasha Robinson, The Verge, "The Black Mirror card game isn’t soul-crushing enough to reflect the show," 8 Dec. 2018 The soul-crushing tragedy The utter, gut-punching tragedy. — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, "Is A Star Is Born the New Titanic? Discuss.," 9 Oct. 2018 Every week, dermatologist Sandra Lee, MD, (aka Dr. Pimple Popper) meets with different men and women suffering from rare, often confidence-crushing skin conditions. — refinery29.com, "The First Episode Of Dr. Pimple Popper Is A Popaholic's Dream Come True," 12 July 2018 The Obama Administration too often crushed legal industries that aren’t politically fashionable—for-profit colleges, for instance. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "A Partial Payday Reprieve," 20 Feb. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Perry was our first big celebrity crush (or frequently tied with one of the New Kids on the Block; in my case, Donnie); our first tingle of longing. — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, "Remembering Luke Perry, the Poster Boy of '90s Studs," 4 Mar. 2019 Who among us hasn't consoled a friend who was ghosted by saying that her crush is potentially a serial killer? — Danielle Mcnally, Marie Claire, "We Showed 'You've Got Mail' to Our Gen-Z Coworkers and Now Feel Very Old," 1 Aug. 2018 Buy $6 at Amazon Buy Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill $12.50, Amazon A serious, small, and funny novel about the crush of family life. — The Cut, "So You Want to Read About Having a Baby," 5 June 2018 Soon the crush turned real life with the couple exchanging long messages over the internet and eventually by Skype. — San Francisco Chronicle, "Rakhi Patel & Heren Patel,," 2 June 2018 Wochit Valley restaurants are preparing for the impending crush of Arizona Restaurant Week, which runs its spring promotion May 18-27. — Dominic Armato, azcentral, "Where to eat for Arizona Restaurant Week? Best places to go in Phoenix May 18-27," 16 May 2018 Is my crush actually into me, or just stringing me along? — Liv Boeree, Vox, "How an 18th-century priest gave us the tools to make better decisions," 30 Nov. 2018 Though the timing couldn’t be worse, Joy immediately comes to her aunt’s bedside only to be reunited with former crush, now hospital administrator, Ben Andrew (Matt Long), son of Ruby’s best friend Shirley. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "10 TV Shows and Movies to Watch in Between Your Halloween Shenanigans," 28 Oct. 2018 Until recently Mendes was a popular teen pop star in the vein of Ed Sheeran, singing about crushes, heartbreak and unrequited love. — Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "With new songs, Shawn Mendes makes a mighty impression at Summerfest in Milwaukee," 5 July 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.