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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of crushes
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Feast your eyes on their now not-so-secret Survivor crushes below!
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
However, Dort’s fate is sealed after the chandelier crashes down and crushes him to death.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
First crushes, first loves, the beautiful days of summer, and heartbreak are what made this book an instant hit with teens.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 14 Aug. 2025
That same courtesy ought to be afforded to Crudup, who absolutely crushes a complex assignment with very little screen time.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
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
In a world full of bad news, crushes can fuel us.
—Pema Bakshi, Refinery29, 18 Sep. 2025
Eric and his friend Brian both have crushes on a girl, Sarah (Amélie Hoeferle).
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
That we’re allowed to lean into the crushes and cravings of the teenage girl that still lives inside all of us.
—Olivia Petter, Vogue, 2 Sep. 2025
With bits about first crushes and middle-class life, Khan performs the entire show in Hindi.
—Jennifer Day, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
Journaling, secret crushes and clandestine affairs take precedence.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
This Halloween, step into stories where science meets terror, where contagions kill, landscapes devour explorers, and technology crushes the human soul.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Feast your eyes on their now not-so-secret Survivor crushes below!
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
However, Dort’s fate is sealed after the chandelier crashes down and crushes him to death.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
First crushes, first loves, the beautiful days of summer, and heartbreak are what made this book an instant hit with teens.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 14 Aug. 2025
That same courtesy ought to be afforded to Crudup, who absolutely crushes a complex assignment with very little screen time.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
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
In a world full of bad news, crushes can fuel us.
—Pema Bakshi, Refinery29, 18 Sep. 2025
Eric and his friend Brian both have crushes on a girl, Sarah (Amélie Hoeferle).
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
That we’re allowed to lean into the crushes and cravings of the teenage girl that still lives inside all of us.
—Olivia Petter, Vogue, 2 Sep. 2025
With bits about first crushes and middle-class life, Khan performs the entire show in Hindi.
—Jennifer Day, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
Journaling, secret crushes and clandestine affairs take precedence.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crushes
Verb
-
The album is front of mind for Yorke, who recently worked on the stage production of Hamlet Hail to the Thief (which mashes up the album and the Shakespeare play) and the surprise live album Hail to the Thief (Live Recordings 2003–2009) was released earlier this year.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Taking a cue from French onion soup, this casserole takes all those iconic flavors and mashes them up with rice and meatballs.—
Maggie Meyer Glisan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
When people without schizophrenia speak or prepare to speak, the brain region that plans movements suppresses signals in the auditory cortex.—
Hannah Seo,
Scientific American,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The experimental once-weekly drug, eloralintide, belongs to the class of drugs that mimic the pancreatic hormone amylin which slows digestion and suppresses hunger.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
At bottom, that’s the thing that grinds my gears.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The Luxe Café automatically grinds beans to the appropriate size and volume for your drink, and has a hands-free frothing system for creating hot and cold foam.—
Mark Marino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Over such spans, change overwhelms continuity; too much simply disappears.—
Manvir Singh,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
-
This figure motivates Butrich but also overwhelms her.—
Sabrina Weiss,
The Dial,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As Arizona squeezes more money from its decreasing share of river water, freighting every drop with critical industries and a booming housing market, the price of water is bound to keep climbing.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The country’s geography squeezes a wild variety into a tight map.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Edgy and ledgy, the narrow passage hugs the cliff face above the valley floor.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Audrey hugs her dad first before giving Barrymore a big hug and introducing herself to the crowd.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
After writing about plants with purple flowers, two gardeners shared their purple horticultural passions.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Best Gifts for Teens When looking for gifts for teens, consider products that align with their interests and passions, such as a practical bucket hat inspired by their favorite K-pop show or a fun crochet kit.—
Anja Webb,
Parents,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The exercise also featured swarms of first-person-view (FPV) suicide drones launching precision strikes against mock enemy fortifications.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Twenty-two earthquakes were recorded in the Kamchatka region within a single day in early November 2025, demonstrating the potential for earthquake swarms in highly active zones.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crushes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crushes. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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