squash

1 of 4

verb

ˈskwäsh How to pronounce squash (audio)
ˈskwȯsh
squashed; squashing; squashes

transitive verb

1
: to press or beat into a pulp or a flat mass : crush
2
: put down, suppress
squash a revolt

intransitive verb

1
: to flatten out under pressure or impact
2
: to proceed with a splashing or squelching sound
squash through the mud
3
squasher noun

squash

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
obsolete : something soft and easily crushed
specifically : an unripe pod of peas
2
: the sudden fall of a heavy soft body or the sound of such a fall
3
4
: a crushed mass
5
British : sweetened citrus fruit juice often served with added soda water
6
: a singles or doubles game played in a 4-wall court with a long-handled racket and a rubber ball that can be hit off any number of walls

squash

3 of 4

adverb

: with a squash or a squashing sound

squash

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural squashes or squash
: any of various fruits of plants (genus Cucurbita) of the gourd family widely cultivated as vegetables
also : a plant and especially a vine that bears squashes compare summer squash, winter squash

Examples of squash in a Sentence

Verb He squashed his nose against the window. His poor performance squashed any hope he had of a promotion. The boss squashed my idea immediately. Someone had squashed all the ribbons together in one box.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
As in any account of Napoleon’s life, there is an underlying comedy in the very attempt to squash an unruly mob of incidents into a tight dramatic space. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2023 Since squashing his jealousy for Beckham, O’Neal has spent quite a bit of time with the soccer star and his family — sons Brooklyn, 24, Romeo, 21, Cruz, 18, and daughter Harper, 12. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 19 Nov. 2023 Humane, a company founded by a pair of ex-Apple employees, wants to squash the tyranny of the touchscreen. WIRED, 9 Nov. 2023 The communists, who espoused atheism and derided religions, sought to yoke Tibet to China by squashing its local culture and historical institutions; destroying Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, nunneries, and cultural artifacts; and suppressing the practice of the Tibetan Buddhist faith. Lobsang Sangay, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2023 Civil society groups have long criticized Meta for squashing the freedom of expression of Palestinian users by removing Arabic content more heavily than Hebrew posts. Naomi Nix, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2023 The New York Times reports that Spears speaks candidly about how the conservatorship squashed all of her motivation to continue making music. Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2023 Republican leaders asserted their rights to block the most routine give-and-take of lawsuits, resisting handing over documents, providing discovery or submitting to depositions — in effect squashing Bonilla’s efforts to uncover how the 2021 maps were drawn. Marilyn W. Thompson, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2023 Cricket, baseball-softball, lacrosse and squash were all approved for the program as well. Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 16 Oct. 2023
Noun
Starting at the outer edge of the same skillet, arrange squash slices in slightly overlapping concentric circles to form a flower shape. Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2023 Settle in for standout pies such as the squash pizza, which layers ricotta, pesto, and garlic confit on a sourdough crust. Cameron Quincy Todd, Saveur, 15 Nov. 2023 This fall-flavor noodle bowl recipe puts the squash to spectacular use in a garlicky pork topper. Sheena Chihak, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Nov. 2023 The cast resin squash made gentle fun of the industrial, aerospace underpinnings of Light & Space art, which featured cast resin geometric forms. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023 Incorporating both is a cheeky, feminist parody of a ceremonial rite involving a cast resin sculpture of a squash. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2023 Associate food editor Rachel Gurjar’s Roasted Delicata Squash With Crispy Onions uses them in a genius way: The squash topping gets dusted liberally with seasonings like cumin, garlic powder, and paprika, then re-crisped for a full-on shattering texture and bonus savory depth. Chris Morocco, Bon Appétit, 6 Nov. 2023 The skin of delicata squash is tender when roasted and very flavorful, so try it along with the flesh. Sunset Staff, Sunset Magazine, 12 Oct. 2023 Tomatoes, eggplants and squashes are at the end of their productive lives. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'squash.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

alteration of Middle English squachen to crush, annul, from Anglo-French esquacher, from Old French es- ex- + quachier to hide from view, from Vulgar Latin *coacticare to press together — more at cache

Noun (2)

by shortening & alteration from earlier isquoutersquash, from Narragansett askútasquash

First Known Use

Verb

1565, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1766, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1634, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of squash was in 1565

Dictionary Entries Near squash

Cite this Entry

“Squash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squash. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

squash

1 of 3 verb
ˈskwäsh How to pronounce squash (audio)
ˈskwȯsh
1
: to press or beat into a pulp or a flat mass : crush
squash a beetle
2
: to put an end to by force : suppress, squelch
squash a revolt
3
: squeeze entry 1 sense 1c, press
squashed into the seat

squash

2 of 3 noun
1
: the sudden fall of a heavy soft body or the sound of such a fall
2
: a crushing sound
3
: a crushed mass
4
: a game played in a four-walled court with a racket and a rubber ball

squash

3 of 3 noun
plural squashes or squash
: any of various fruits of plants of the gourd family that are used especially as vegetables
also : a plant and typically a vine that produces squashes
Etymology

Verb

from Middle English squachen "to crush, annul," from early French esquacher (same meaning)

Noun

a shortened and altered form of earlier isquoutersquash "the squash plant or fruit"; of American Indian origin

Medical Definition

: a bit of tissue crushed between a slide and cover glass and stained in situ especially for cytological study of chromosomes

More from Merriam-Webster on squash

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