as in overwhelming
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in cramming
to fit (people or things) into a tight space
the desperate refugees were crushed into the back of the truck
Synonyms & Similar Words
7
as in hugging
to put one's arms around and press tightly
she tearfully crushed the child to her breast
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 crushing
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
Black One and Monoliths & Dimensions maintain a slight distance from the listener with a layer of reverb that softens the bone-crushing power of the guitars.
—Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 4 Apr. 2026
Both meet their demise at the hands of the other when Old Red flips on his back, breaking his neck and crushing McLane to death.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2026
Trump signed an executive order in January threatening crushing tariffs on any country that provided oil to Cuba, and the United States already intercepted a tanker from Venezuela in December and one from Colombia in February.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The thinking is that if oil doesn’t start flowing out of the Middle East soon, prices would have to go high enough to balance the market by crushing demand.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Muddle, crushing mint to release oils.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Apr. 2026
The physical and mental toll of providing her son with a decent life, however, is crushing.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
After Alvarado got a fly out to right, Baldwin stepped in and battled for 10 pitches before crushing a two-run double into the gap in right.
—Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 1 Apr. 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
One rabid mongoose bite later, and Ben is a skull-crushing, face-ripping menace terrorizing Lucy and her friends.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
Black One and Monoliths & Dimensions maintain a slight distance from the listener with a layer of reverb that softens the bone-crushing power of the guitars.
—Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 4 Apr. 2026
Both meet their demise at the hands of the other when Old Red flips on his back, breaking his neck and crushing McLane to death.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2026
Trump signed an executive order in January threatening crushing tariffs on any country that provided oil to Cuba, and the United States already intercepted a tanker from Venezuela in December and one from Colombia in February.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The thinking is that if oil doesn’t start flowing out of the Middle East soon, prices would have to go high enough to balance the market by crushing demand.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Muddle, crushing mint to release oils.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Apr. 2026
The physical and mental toll of providing her son with a decent life, however, is crushing.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
After Alvarado got a fly out to right, Baldwin stepped in and battled for 10 pitches before crushing a two-run double into the gap in right.
—Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crushing
Adjective
-
But voters renewed the tax with overwhelming support in past elections and did so again on Tuesday.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The sheer area of the ocean that could be harmed by drilling is also overwhelming.—
Kristen Monsell,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Often apologizing in between bites, Beard, 40, eats savagely with his hands, squeezing food and mashing it into his mouth.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Rice impressed last season, mashing 26 home runs and driving in 65 runs, but Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter thinks the 27-year-old is going to take it to a whole new level this season, boldly predicting Rice mashes 40 home runs this season.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 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
-
An assortment of stone tools, including grinding slabs, mullers, pestles, and mortars, suggested that grain was processed on-site.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Until then, Kloza expects crude and product prices to keep grinding higher, punctuated by sharp swings on every headline.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For this woman, devastating in her humanity and dignity throughout the four months of the extraordinary trial, who was propelled into becoming a global icon in the fight against the violence done to women, the time has now come to rebuild.—
TIME,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The parents of a toddler who suffered a minor injury at a Pennsylvania theme park zoo after squeezing through a fence near a wolf enclosure and making contact with one of the animals have been charged with endangering the welfare of children, police said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Every piece is so soft, almost like squeezing mini chunks of cotton candy.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
However, Wittmann cautions against cramming one’s day planner with novel experiences as a means of seizing (and holding on to) the day.—
Jennifer Byrne,
Popular Science,
8 Apr. 2026
-
With referees increasingly tolerant of grappling inside the six-yard box, more teams are deliberately cramming players around opposition goalkeepers, blocking their movements and attacking the space around them rather than the ball itself.—
Matt Pyzdrowski,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Photos originally published by the New York Post’s Page Six showed the coach and journalist holding hands, hugging and sitting in a pool in bathing suits at a resort bungalow in Sedona, Arizona.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
-
But that big gap in the middle—and the fact that many ships are hugging the northern shoreline—shows that captains were not eager to test the open-sea route without Tehran's approval.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crushing. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
