as in overwhelming
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1
2
as in quelling
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 grinding
to reduce to fine particles
crushed the baby's medicine tablet and mixed it with applesauce
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in devastating
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
the terrible news of her death simply crushed the entire family
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5
as in squeezing
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
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6
as in cramming
to fit (people or things) into a tight space
the desperate refugees were crushed into the back of the truck
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7
as in hugging
to put one's arms around and press tightly
she tearfully crushed the child to her breast
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crushing
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
Instead, the Dodgers’ clutch middle-of-the-order threat was able to toy with the Arizona Diamondbacks, crushing a go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning to power a 3-2 victory and a 3-0 start to the season.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
One rabid mongoose bite later, and Ben is a skull-crushing, face-ripping menace terrorizing Lucy and her friends.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Seals off The San Diego Seals (6-8) are off this weekend and licking their wounds following a crushing 9-8 home loss to Buffalo on Saturday.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Insurance companies have the capacity to relieve patients and employers from crushing premium increases.
—Barbara Hoare, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, Matsuoka’s speechless wife becomes obsessed with collecting and recycling trash bags filled with plastic cans, crushing them underfoot with a giddy gaze on her face.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
However, launching these weapons is a technical challenge, requiring stable ascent and ignition while fighting the crushing forces of the ocean.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
After a late night on Thursday, there wasn't a whole lot of time for the Illini to celebrate their crushing 35-point win over Penn before starting to prepare for VCU, with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line.
—Ryan Baker, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Even the laughs and smiles that Joe and Kate Keller issue are fleeting, a respite from the journey toward a more crushing reality.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
If the Red Sea remains closed, if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, then the global economy very quickly, within weeks, goes into recession and brings crushing stagflation.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
Instead, the Dodgers’ clutch middle-of-the-order threat was able to toy with the Arizona Diamondbacks, crushing a go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning to power a 3-2 victory and a 3-0 start to the season.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
One rabid mongoose bite later, and Ben is a skull-crushing, face-ripping menace terrorizing Lucy and her friends.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Seals off The San Diego Seals (6-8) are off this weekend and licking their wounds following a crushing 9-8 home loss to Buffalo on Saturday.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Insurance companies have the capacity to relieve patients and employers from crushing premium increases.
—Barbara Hoare, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, Matsuoka’s speechless wife becomes obsessed with collecting and recycling trash bags filled with plastic cans, crushing them underfoot with a giddy gaze on her face.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
However, launching these weapons is a technical challenge, requiring stable ascent and ignition while fighting the crushing forces of the ocean.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
After a late night on Thursday, there wasn't a whole lot of time for the Illini to celebrate their crushing 35-point win over Penn before starting to prepare for VCU, with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line.
—Ryan Baker, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crushing
Adjective
-
In its final form, though, the change — 8 to 10 feet closer in the corners with the gaps tapering toward a still 410-foot centerfield — certainly doesn’t appear overwhelming.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In improving to 35-3, South Carolina’s 6-foot-3 All-American Joyce Edwards scored 24 points and had 12 rebounds, nine on the offensive glass in overwhelming TCU.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Tigers erased an 11-point halftime deficit in the third quarter, knotting the contest at 33-33 before running out of gas — just as Bama was mashing the pedal to the floor.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Credit those 4,000-plus pounds of curb weight with mashing down bumpy roads into something more pleasant.—
Marty Padgett,
The Drive,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Government forces brought reinforcements into Suqaylabiyah, quelling the violence.—
Omar Albam,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
-
In December, the Mouse House pledged to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and entered a three-year licensing agreement for allowing over 200 Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars characters’ likenesses to be used in Sora, quelling some of the text-to-video app’s brushups with copyright law.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Molino Los Hermanos hopes to start grinding in Uptown this summer.—
Louisa Kung Liu Chu,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In recent years, several demonstrations have expanded onto adjacent freeways, grinding traffic to a halt.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Our team found that a hospital cyberattack cut the odds of surviving a cardiac arrest without devastating brain damage by nearly 90% at nearby hospitals, not just the one that was attacked.—
Jeffrey Tully,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
But the war now is devastating it.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Serve with garlic toasts and lemon wedges for squeezing over if desired.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Photos and video show the explorers squeezing through jagged crevices deep inside the karsts, using flashlights to guide them further along an otherwise pitch-black maze of rocky burrows.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The plush red seats of the Concertgebouw's main auditorium are occupied by students cramming for upcoming exams and finishing dissertations as classical music fills the hall.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
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Which is exactly why Paradise’s increasingly disruptive flirtations with time travel feel frustrating on a structural level, like the show is cramming another puzzle box inside the puzzle box.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When the Rockets called a time out, the Lakers bench all ran over to Doncic, hugging him, slapping him and James nudging him for a job very well done.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The mother of four stunned, wearing a long-sleeved, figure-hugging metallic dress to walk the red carpet at the Oscars after-party.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crushing. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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