Synonyms of crushes

crushes 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of crush

1

as in mashes

to cause to become a pulpy mass

dark-colored grapes that will be crushed to make red wine

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mashes
• squeezes
• squashes
• presses
• pulps
• pulverizes
• beats
• pounds
• powders

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

• suppresses
• quells
• subdues
• represses
• squashes
• destroys
• silences
• stifles
• overcomes
• sits on
• quashes
• extinguishes
• squelches
• snuffs (out)
• clamps down (on)
• demolishes
• cracks down (on)
• slaps down
• obliterates
• throttles
• annihilates
• quenches
• puts down
• decimates
• smothers
• smashes
• dominates
• conquers
• ruins
• strangles
• vanquishes
• wrecks
• exterminates
• overwhelms
• subjugates
• devastates
• wastes
• wipes out
• overpowers
• douses
• puts out
• nukes
• desolates
• rubs out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• supports
• helps
• aids
• assists
• backs
• provokes
• abets
• stirs
• incites
• encourages
• instigates
• promotes
• advances
• whips (up)
• fosters
• cultivates
• nurtures
• nourishes
• props up
• foments
• furthers
• forwards

3

as in grinds

to reduce to fine particles

crushed the baby's medicine tablet and mixed it with applesauce

Synonyms & Similar Words

• grinds
• pounds
• beats
• disintegrates
• pulverizes
• crumbles
• mills
• smashes
• powders
• atomizes
• brays
• mulls
• shatters
• grates
• comminutes
• fractures
• breaks
• fragments
• crunches
• kibbles
• busts
• splinters
• dashes
• micronizes

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

• overwhelms
• overcomes
• devastates
• oppresses
• overpowers
• rocks
• grinds (down)
• whelms
• prostrates
• floors
• disturbs
• drowns
• swamps
• overmasters
• defeats
• shatters
• snows under
• sinks
• upsets
• refutes
• throws
• deluges
• distresses
• confutes
• demoralizes
• staggers
• unnerves
• unmans
• breaks

5

as in squeezes

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

• squeezes
• mashes
• presses
• expresses
• extracts
• reams
• extrudes
• pulps
• purees

6

as in stuffs

to fit (people or things) into a tight space

the desperate refugees were crushed into the back of the truck

Synonyms & Similar Words

• squeezes
• stuffs
• crams
• loads
• sandwiches
• wedges
• rams
• jams
• shoehorns
• packs
• crowds
• fills
• heaps
• jam-packs

7

as in hugs

to put one's arms around and press tightly

she tearfully crushed the child to her breast

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hugs
• clasps
• clings
• cradles
• embraces
• grabs
• grasps
• enfolds
• holds
• wraps
• bear-hugs
• enclasps
• strains
• clamps
• pats
• envelops
• snuggles
• grips
• encircles
• entwines
• locks
• folds
• nuzzles
• fondles
• embosoms
• cuddles
• twines
• strokes
• bosoms
• nestles
• enwinds
• pets

crushes

2 of 2

noun

plural of crush

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

• passions
• mashes
• infatuations
• obsessions
• loves
• rages
• affections
• fixations
• devotions
• crazes
• fads
• vogues

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

• swarms
• throngs
• hordes
• flocks
• masses
• crowds
• multitudes
• legions
• presses
• masses
• routs
• armies
• bikes
• crams
• mobs
• millions
• hosts
• herds
• droves
• rabbles
• piles
• riffraffs
• rabblements
• gaggles
• scrums
• heaps
• mountains
• jams
• logjams

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of crushes

Verb

Josh lights several candles and crushes some Viagra in preparation for the arrival of one Alexis, but when the doorbell rings, there is no beautiful 26-year-old waiting for him. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026

William crushes his cousin Ben (Alex Bhat) in a bear hug. —Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026

Because these drugs are so precious, new antibiotics are deliberately held in reserve to slow the emergence of resistance, a practice known as stewardship that benefits future patients but crushes commercial prospects. —Henry Skinner, STAT, 5 Mar. 2026

Early voting crushes record in Texas Early voting in Texas smashed records. —From Staff Reports, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026

Or perhaps you will be filled with private thoughts, fantasies and crushes about someone. —Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026

Nvidia crushes earnings; Wall Street shrugs Nvidia delivered absolutely blockbuster results in the final three months of 2025, as demand for its AI chips went through the roof. —Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026

Behind her closed door, Bree takes out the data card with Lucy’s confession and crushes it with a stapler. —Jp Mangalindan, Time, 17 Feb. 2026

Layer on top of this the inescapable student-loan debt that crushes their spirit and bank accounts. —Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 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

High Fidelity distills adolescence down to its core tent poles of crushes and music. —Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Apr. 2026

Sam Petrosian sprung from our comedy boy-next-door crushes, like Bill Pullman, Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks. —Lee Kelly, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026

That seemingly unromantic shift towards feeling more like roommates than crushes isn’t inherently bad. —Jenna Ryu, SELF, 8 Apr. 2026

Tell your friends, parents, crushes and foes that the Chronicle’s Top 100 is back. —Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Mar. 2026

From orange crushes to signature cocktails and even a running hot dog competition behind the bar, Section 771 pulls out all the stops for the season opener. —Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026

The world was first introduced to Saoirse-Monica Jackson as the awkward and expressive schoolgirl Erin Quinn in Derry Girls, navigating Troubles-era Northern Ireland and its conflict with the same fervor as her crushes, convent school, and cringe-inducing teenage chaos. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2026

Listening felt like being pulled into side chats with lots of different characters who were at precisely the right level of intoxication to reveal something interesting to you—crushes, anxieties, rivalries. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026