1
2
as in suppresses
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
the government is doing everything to crush the latest guerrilla uprising
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in grinds
to reduce to fine particles
crushed the baby's medicine tablet and mixed it with applesauce
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in overwhelms
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
the terrible news of her death simply crushed the entire family
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
6
7
as in hugs
to put one's arms around and press tightly
she tearfully crushed the child to her breast
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in passions
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
as in swarms
a great number of persons or creatures massed together
the huge crush in the store must have far exceeded safety limits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of crushes
Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Continue reading … HOUSTON HITS HARD – Steelers' playoff nightmare continues as Texans defense crushes Rodgers in rout.
—FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Diaz leaving town crushes the Mets' bullpen going forward.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
And while many television shows about teenagers tend to focus on physical appearance, crushes, and drama, this series explores how the characters learn to embrace and use their own unique gifts, to work collaboratively, and solve problems that require critical thinking.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 8 Dec. 2025
Hays also crushes left-handed pitching.
—Kansas City Star, 7 Dec. 2025
McNulty briefly appeared as Vickie in season 4, playing a band geek who Hawke's Robin crushes on.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Nov. 2025
On the personal relationships side this season, Will is heavily implied to be gay and have feelings for Mike, while Robin crushes on a girl named Vickie (Amybeth McNulty) and starts bonding with her in the finale.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 19 Nov. 2025
Its got an 8-core GPU that crushes graphics, and Apple Intelligence which upgraded my writing and photo editing.
—PC Magazine, 18 Nov. 2025
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Jan. 2026
Having harbored secret crushes on each other at the time, the two might get a second chance at romance as they are reunited years later when Tyler crosses paths with Bode.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 2 Dec. 2025
Pour yourself into your poetry, your crushes, your late-night brainstorms.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 30 Nov. 2025
Bachelorette Preview Bullet Points • Taylor’s got some crushes.
—Ali Barthwell, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
Licensed psychotherapist Lucas Saiter agreed that a decline in crushes is common in adulthood.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Fast forward, 20 years later, and Swift is not a little girl anymore, and her music isn’t about little girl crushes and worries.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 3 Oct. 2025
The series starred Ben Savage as Cory Matthews navigating his family, high school and his crushes.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
Eric and his friend Brian both have crushes on a girl, Sarah (Amélie Hoeferle).
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
While many of the Williams wannabes came from near and far, there were a few Caleb crushes in the crowd.
—Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Continue reading … HOUSTON HITS HARD – Steelers' playoff nightmare continues as Texans defense crushes Rodgers in rout.
—FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Diaz leaving town crushes the Mets' bullpen going forward.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
And while many television shows about teenagers tend to focus on physical appearance, crushes, and drama, this series explores how the characters learn to embrace and use their own unique gifts, to work collaboratively, and solve problems that require critical thinking.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 8 Dec. 2025
Hays also crushes left-handed pitching.
—Kansas City Star, 7 Dec. 2025
McNulty briefly appeared as Vickie in season 4, playing a band geek who Hawke's Robin crushes on.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Nov. 2025
On the personal relationships side this season, Will is heavily implied to be gay and have feelings for Mike, while Robin crushes on a girl named Vickie (Amybeth McNulty) and starts bonding with her in the finale.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 19 Nov. 2025
Its got an 8-core GPU that crushes graphics, and Apple Intelligence which upgraded my writing and photo editing.
—PC Magazine, 18 Nov. 2025
Noun
Learn what dating looks like in different cultures, witness the devastation when crushes go sideways, and enjoy the redemption when couples rediscover their spark and move forward.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Jan. 2026
Having harbored secret crushes on each other at the time, the two might get a second chance at romance as they are reunited years later when Tyler crosses paths with Bode.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 2 Dec. 2025
Pour yourself into your poetry, your crushes, your late-night brainstorms.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 30 Nov. 2025
Bachelorette Preview Bullet Points • Taylor’s got some crushes.
—Ali Barthwell, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
Licensed psychotherapist Lucas Saiter agreed that a decline in crushes is common in adulthood.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Fast forward, 20 years later, and Swift is not a little girl anymore, and her music isn’t about little girl crushes and worries.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 3 Oct. 2025
The series starred Ben Savage as Cory Matthews navigating his family, high school and his crushes.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
Eric and his friend Brian both have crushes on a girl, Sarah (Amélie Hoeferle).
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crushes
Verb
-
This showstopper of a dessert mashes up the bold caffeinated flavors of classic tiramisu with the perfectly wobbly, creamy perfection of panna cotta.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
One video pairs photos of Trump with the swooning sound of a Taylor Swift song; another mashes up a video snippet of the comedian Theo Von and shots of immigrants getting deported.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Thermal and pressure bonding of a capping layer The research team showed that thermal and pressure bonding of a capping layer to a perovskite surface suppresses defect initiation from iodide loss and enhances long-term stability.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The crab-eating frog, on the other hand, suppresses urea excretion during salt exposure, which allows the levels to rise safely.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As the war grinds through another bitterly cold winter, Russian strikes hit an apartment block Wednesday on the outskirts of Kyiv, killing two people.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
As the war grinds through another bitterly cold winter, Russian strikes hit an apartment block Wednesday on the outskirts of Kyiv, killing two people.—
Kamila Hrabchuk,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What overwhelms her isn’t the wedding itself, but the realization that her lifelong role as Lexi’s default person is about to shift.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
-
But for families with young kids, there is one cost that overwhelms almost everything else — child care.—
Liam Stanton,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This example of the latter skillfully squeezes a comfortable home for two into a single shipping container.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 Jan. 2026
-
As the moon follows an elliptical path, Saturn’s gravity stretches and squeezes it.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Tramon Mark scores 21 points, Matas Vokietaitis (22 points) tops 20 points for the first time in SEC play, and Dailyn Swain stuffs the stat sheet with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Jan. 2026
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Unbeknownst to everyone else, Louise stuffs the turkey costumes with actual exploding meat guts meant to soak the audience in an effort to be released from school early.—
Lillian Brown,
Vulture,
20 Nov. 2023
Verb
-
The image accompanying the post shows Blessd’s tattooed back as his partner hugs him tightly, holding an ultrasound image and baby shoes in her hands.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
24 Jan. 2026
-
In the opposite direction, there's an eight-mile walking and running track that hugs the coastline and is perfect for sunset strolls.—
Selina Denman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Libra's 2026 love horoscope Indulge your passions.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Successful founders prioritize what feels easy, light, and aligned with their personality and passions.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crushes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crushes. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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