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

The Ground Finch uses its crushing beak to remove ticks from the backs of tortoises and iguanas. — Jill Kiedaisch, Popular Mechanics, "BREAKING: Mystery of Square Wombat Poop Revealed," 20 Nov. 2018 Opposition supporters said the army's crushing victories in other rebel strongholds had loomed large over this offensive, breaking morale and encouraging towns and villages to surrender one by one as the bombing intensified. — Louisa Loveluck, chicagotribune.com, "Syrian army raises flag above city considered birthplace of uprising against Assad," 12 July 2018 Opposition supporters said Thursday that the army’s crushing victories in other rebel strongholds had loomed large over this offensive, breaking morale and encouraging towns and villages to surrender as the bombing intensified. — Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post, "Syrian army raises flag above city considered as birthplace of uprising against Assad," 12 July 2018 This is thought to have come as a crushing blow to Pep Guardiola, who had made the midfielder his chief midfield target ahead of next season. — SI.com, "Manchester City Suspect Jorginho to Chelsea Reports May Be 'a Ruse' With Transfer Still Possible," 11 July 2018 To create a better life for their son, the family had borrowed to cover his education, resulting in crushing student loan debt to faceless financial institutions unwilling to refinance to help the family make ends meet. — Krista Stevens, Longreads, "The Crushing, Ever-Present Weight of Debt," 10 July 2018 In March, all efforts to rebuff competition and recover from crushing debts became futile. — Polina Marinova, Fortune, "Term Sheet -- Monday, July 9," 9 July 2018 Violence and crushing poverty have spurred them to flee. — Skyler Swisher, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Here's what we know about separated immigrant children in South Florida," 29 June 2018 Kennedy’s retirement is a crushing defeat for the Democratic Party and for liberal policymaking. — Matt Ford, The New Republic, "Anthony Kennedy’s Great Legacy: His Exit," 27 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In Matchmaker Santa, a baker (another baker!) who is dating a fancy CEO is thrown into compromising situations with her boyfriend’s BFF, who is harboring a secret crush on her. — Lourdes Avila Uribe, Glamour, "What You Can Expect to See in Every Single Hallmark Channel Christmas Movie," 24 Dec. 2018 From cozy hygge vibes to that cool, minimalist aesthetic, the whole internet seems to have a style crush on northern Europe. — Sienna Fantozzi, House Beautiful, "A Famous Danish Design Store Is Coming To America," 1 Nov. 2018 Noah jokes that the anchors over at Fox News have formed a crush on her. — Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, "How Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Other Progressives are Defining the Midterms," 15 Oct. 2018 Since its release, the internet has collectively developed a crush on both the movie and Peter, who turns up the charm to 100. — Claire Dodson, Teen Vogue, "Noah Centineo Said His "True Connection" With Shannon Purser "Wasn't Even Acting" in Their New Movie "Sierra Burgess Is a Loser"," 28 Aug. 2018 Elfo wants to spread his naive brand of merriment while nursing a serious crush on Bean. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Disenchantment review: Groening’s new Netflix toon is off to a bloody good start," 7 Aug. 2018 Apparently Glusman already had a crush on Kravitz but was too nervous to talk to her for most of the evening. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "ICYMI, Zoë Kravitz Is Engaged—and She Just Showed Off Her Ring," 12 Nov. 2018 The submarine rests at a depth of 920 meters (more than 3,000 feet) below the surface of the South Atlantic—over three times its safe operating depth and well below the crush depth of the sub. — Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica, "Doomed Argentine sub found a year after its disappearance," 19 Nov. 2018 For the romance plot, there’s Elfo, a diminutive, innocent, sweet little elf who sees only the good in life, who has a crush on Bean. — Noah Berlatsky, The Verge, "Netflix’s Disenchantment suggests the messy future of princess stories," 22 Aug. 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.