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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Beril Akman, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
For too many New Yorkers, a single emergency can mean eviction or crushing debt.
—Tiffany Caban, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
Ashford said part of candidates’ decisions to remain in the race could have been driven by their lengthy political careers, as well as Democrats’ crushing November redistricting victory.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The sort of crushing fear and feeling of being trapped that these families are going through is outrageous.
—Kate Wells, NPR, 5 Mar. 2026
The Trojans went back ahead on a basket by Arenas seven seconds later before Washington began its crushing run.
—Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
Her campaign message reflects the Democratic Party’s pivot to a more centrist approach to social issues after their crushing losses in 2024.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Mar. 2026
Animal crushing cases have surfaced in different parts of the country.
—Jay Weaver, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
Four points from trips to Crystal Palace and Chelsea lifted spirits, and the 4-3 defeat at home to Brentford on Saturday, while crushing in its conclusion, showed a side now willing to fight for everything.
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 3 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
His win in Istanbul in 2019 represented a crushing blow to Erdogan, whose own political ascent began as the city’s mayor.
—Beril Akman, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
For too many New Yorkers, a single emergency can mean eviction or crushing debt.
—Tiffany Caban, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
Ashford said part of candidates’ decisions to remain in the race could have been driven by their lengthy political careers, as well as Democrats’ crushing November redistricting victory.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The sort of crushing fear and feeling of being trapped that these families are going through is outrageous.
—Kate Wells, NPR, 5 Mar. 2026
The Trojans went back ahead on a basket by Arenas seven seconds later before Washington began its crushing run.
—Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
Her campaign message reflects the Democratic Party’s pivot to a more centrist approach to social issues after their crushing losses in 2024.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Mar. 2026
Animal crushing cases have surfaced in different parts of the country.
—Jay Weaver, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
Four points from trips to Crystal Palace and Chelsea lifted spirits, and the 4-3 defeat at home to Brentford on Saturday, while crushing in its conclusion, showed a side now willing to fight for everything.
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crushing
Adjective
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Athens then destroyed Melos and launched the Sicily Expedition with overwhelming force and no coherent theory of governance for what came next.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
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Her prolific awards season run in 2024 coincided with the filming of Monarch season two, and having that support system around her proved to be rather comforting during such an overwhelming time.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Sales of the iPhone have also been instrumental in quelling Wall Street’s concerns about where the company stands in the AI race.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
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Some of Altman’s and OpenAI’s social media push over the weekend seemed aimed at quelling concerns among the company’s own employees over the Pentagon contract.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Trailblazers were grinding the whole second half, wearing down Harvard-Westlake players as the loud home fans cheered them on.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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And that was one of the goals going into the game — just keep grinding the entire game.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Most businesses are open and welcoming customers following January’s devastating Palisades Fire.—
Tim Chester,
Robb Report,
5 Mar. 2026
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Through the implementation of strong border policies, fentanyl trafficking across the southern border has been slashed in half, leading to fewer overdose deaths devastating American families.—
Gabe Evans,
Denver Post,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Other business leaders have trialed, but then dialed back, four-day work week experiments after seeing the strain of squeezing five days of work into four.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
3 Mar. 2026
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The business has been brutal for the last couple of years — the pandemic, the strikes, the profit squeezing that led to a bunch of reduced production.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Instead of cramming huge amounts of fiber into one meal, fiberlayering emphasizes distributing fiber steadily across the day and pulling it from a wide range of whole foods.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
5 Mar. 2026
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Instead of cramming more expensive computers into the cars themselves, the team led by postdoctoral researcher Kun Woo Cho decided to put the brains into the road.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For the occasion, Curtis wowed in a plunging LBD that featured a super low-cut V-neckline, figure-hugging silhouette, and decadent satin fabric.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
5 Mar. 2026
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When other monkeys shooed the baby away, Punch rushed back to the toy orangutan, hugging it for comfort.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crushing. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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