crush 1 of 2

Definition of crushnext
1
as in to mash
to cause to become a pulpy mass dark-colored grapes that will be crushed to make red wine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
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5
as in to squeeze
to apply external pressure on so as to force out the juice or contents of after crushing the grapes, let the skins soak in the juice in order to extract some color

Synonyms & Similar Words

6
as in to cram
to fit (people or things) into a tight space the desperate refugees were crushed into the back of the truck

Synonyms & Similar Words

7

crush

2 of 2

noun

1
as in passion
a strong but often short-lived liking for another person fondly remembers the crush that she had on a boy one summer long ago

Synonyms & Similar Words

2

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun crush differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of crush are crowd, horde, mob, and throng. While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

When might crowd be a better fit than crush?

While the synonyms crowd and crush are close in meaning, crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

When is mob a more appropriate choice than crush?

The words mob and crush can be used in similar contexts, but mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

How do throng and horde relate to one another, in the sense of crush?

Both throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters
a horde of shoppers

How does the noun crush differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of crush are crowd, horde, mob, and throng. While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

When might crowd be a better fit than crush?

While the synonyms crowd and crush are close in meaning, crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

When is mob a more appropriate choice than crush?

The words mob and crush can be used in similar contexts, but mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

How do throng and horde relate to one another, in the sense of crush?

Both throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters
a horde of shoppers

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of crush
Verb
Yankees third baseman Amed Rosario wasted no time bringing them home, crushing a three-run home run clear over the Green Monster to put New York up 3-0. Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 23 Apr. 2026 Recovery businesses can also crush or sandblast items with silver and use magnets or differences in density to sort out the precious metal. John Raby, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
Maddox Batson, at just 16, is the latest, drawing comparisons to young Justin Bieber with his songs about middle-school crushes and country living. Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2026 Rain further worsened conditions, intensifying the crush. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crush
Verb
  • Rather than let Suarez face Stanton a third time with a man on third and two outs after the Yankees slugger mashed a pair of doubles in his first two at bats, Red Sox manager Alex Cora opted for righty Zack Kelly, who forced Stanton to pop out to third.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
  • However, Byron Buxton mashed a two-run homer in the inning to cut it to a 3-2 lead.
    James O'Connell, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Nor has the admission that there were performance problems done much to quell rampant speculation that the company is running short of computing resources and that Anthropic’s efforts to ration precious computing power were the real reason for the performance issues.
    Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Over the past few months, the pending consolidation sparked many fears, which David Ellison tried to quell.
    Mandalit del Barco, NPR, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Bodies in motion are intercut with a bespoke gun factory’s grinding gears; human combats are juxtaposed with VR imagery or first-person shooter games.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
  • That willingness to grind, Jassy argued, is what separates the people who move up from those who stall out.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • An abundance of candidates can overwhelm users and reduce the odds that an interaction turns into something meaningful.
    Charlotte Morabito, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2026
  • LeClair explains that power surges damage appliances and electronic devices by overwhelming their internal electrical components with more voltage than they are designed to handle.
    Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • When picking your own, avoid squeezing the berries.
    Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
  • That’s way too much time to squeeze into a mere 140 minutes.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Not in terms of the scale of its sets—we’ll leave that to the giant staircase in The Queen of Versailles, or whatever is going on with the flying vampires of The Lost Boys—but in terms of the most tropes crammed into one two-act stretch.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Memorization and keywords help non-English speakers On a recent Saturday, eight students crammed into a tiny classroom with road signs adorning the walls.
    David Ovalle, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In his press conference on Monday, Rosenior pointed out that one video of Fernandez appearing to walk past him after being substituted against Manchester United was cut before the player turned around and hugged him and shook his hand.
    Cerys Jones, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Slim planter beds along fences operate on the same principle, replacing bulky garden beds with streamlined growing space that hugs the perimeter and keeps the center of the garden open and breathable.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The National Conflict Resolution Center has hosted this event for 38 years now, to recognize individuals and organizations working with passion and purpose toward a better future for all Americans.
    Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Ducks fans expected the postseason and embraced it with a passion that rocked Honda Center during 12 playoff trips in a 15-season span, including two trips to the Stanley Cup Final and the 2007 championship.
    Todd Harmonson, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Crush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crush. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

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