crush 1 of 2

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
3
4
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

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
In the seventh inning, Kyle Stowers crushed a grand slam, Javier Sanoja (3-for-5, 3 RBI, 3 runs) followed with his second homer of the night, and Ramírez added an RBI single as the Marlins erased a five-run deficit and took a one-run lead. Steve Gorten, Miami Herald, 2 Aug. 2025 To obtain the copper ore, Resolution, which is owned by multinational firms Rio Tinto and BHP, will use a method known as block cave mining in which tunnels are drilled beneath the ore body, and then collapsed, leaving the ore to be moved to a crushing facility. Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 30 July 2025
Noun
Even though Nevermore Academy is a chaotic place, especially with Wednesday (Ortega) there, Enid is also still navigating the normal high school clichés, like crushes and friendship drama. Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2025 Give your crush/S.O. room to grow individually and as a couple. Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crush
Verb
  • The Braves began the inning with three infield hits and continued to mash throughout the frame.
    Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2025
  • It’s made by mashing ripe avocados and mixing them with lemon and lime juice, tomatoes, red onions, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, and spices.
    Merve Ceylan, Health, 29 July 2025
Verb
  • The system is expected to hook around a large plume of African dust that has been quelling hurricane development for the past several weeks, Fox Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross wrote on his blog, Hurricane Intel.
    David Schutz, Sun Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2025
  • America’s military establishment tried to quell the outrage with a piece in Harper’s by Henry Stimson, a retired Secretary of War.
    Jane Mayer, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The rally in Mainland markets continued to grind higher, underpinned by policy support and strong technical momentum.
    Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
  • The grinding insurgencies that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union demanded more and more armor to protect troops from roadside bombs.
    Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Don’t be afraid to refuse additional tasks that could overwhelm you.
    Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Given that the implementation of all this may overwhelm hospital waiting rooms and beds, overcrowd jails and prisons and require public housing, several questions arise.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 4 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • To squeeze all this into exactly 100 days between Wrexham staging a promotion party after last season had ended and Tuesday’s cup tie against Hull is impressive.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Ewers was impressive finding A.J. Henning on one throw and squeezed a pass into a tight window to running back Ollie Gordon II.
    David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The few health centers and nutrition treatment centers that are still functioning are crammed with people as cholera cases continue to climb.
    Maryanne Murray Buechner, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
  • Halle hunched nervously between the runners as we were crammed together at the start line.
    Ula Chrobak, Outside, 9 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The Great River Road hugs the Mississippi River with picturesque landscapes perfect for stops and photo ops.
    Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Easily the most expensive British automobiles of the era, the coupe and convertible models were christened Corniche in 1971 as a nod to the roads hugging the French Cote d’Azur.
    Robert Ross, Robb Report, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • What brings the biggest purpose and passion to your days lately?
    Jeff Conway, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • With so much passion behind the project, Rado’s Press is definitely off to a great start.
    Clea Haran, Parents, 7 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Crush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crush. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

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