as in overwhelming
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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
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Recent Examples of crushing
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
And in the end, the Sox scored their most runs in a game since 1970, crushing the Kansas City Royals 22-1 in front of 31,130 at Rate Field.
—
Lamond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2026
The system has long been mired in controversy, including exam paper leaks and technical failures, placing a crushing burden on students, and financial strain on families investing everything in their children for a promise that can often appear fragile.
—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Galactic Racer captures the satisfaction of skirting around a corner at high speeds and the crushing impact of colliding head-on with a wall.
—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
26 June 2026
Although sentiment is weak, bitcoin’s decline has been more muted than the crushing drawdowns that characterized previous crypto winters.
—
Tanaya MacHeel,
CNBC,
24 June 2026
The one who sets the bone-crushing screen that springs the star, then immediately sprints to the rim for the lob, then turns around and blows up the other team’s pick-and-roll on the other end all in one sequence?
—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 June 2026
The Louvre and Eiffel Tower close early due to crushing heatwave.
—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
24 June 2026
Then the two in the final three holes that sealed the crushing near-miss.
—
Nick Pietruszkiewicz,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2026
Adjective
And that makes his collapse all the more crushing.
—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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
Many of our schools do a decent job of crushing students’ desire for mental effort.
—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
And in the end, the Sox scored their most runs in a game since 1970, crushing the Kansas City Royals 22-1 in front of 31,130 at Rate Field.
—
Lamond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2026
The system has long been mired in controversy, including exam paper leaks and technical failures, placing a crushing burden on students, and financial strain on families investing everything in their children for a promise that can often appear fragile.
—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Galactic Racer captures the satisfaction of skirting around a corner at high speeds and the crushing impact of colliding head-on with a wall.
—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
26 June 2026
Although sentiment is weak, bitcoin’s decline has been more muted than the crushing drawdowns that characterized previous crypto winters.
—
Tanaya MacHeel,
CNBC,
24 June 2026
The one who sets the bone-crushing screen that springs the star, then immediately sprints to the rim for the lob, then turns around and blows up the other team’s pick-and-roll on the other end all in one sequence?
—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 June 2026
The Louvre and Eiffel Tower close early due to crushing heatwave.
—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
24 June 2026
Then the two in the final three holes that sealed the crushing near-miss.
—
Nick Pietruszkiewicz,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crushing
Adjective
-
Not to mention, the flattering waist tie and subtle side slit elevate your look ever so slightly without overwhelming, a fail-safe formula for chic European dressing.
-
Lacks overwhelming physicality or highest level explosiveness, and didn't add any notable muscle mass between his freshman and sophomore seasons (175 pounds at 2025 combine and 176 at 2026 combine).
Verb
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More often, the series borrows from the overall feeling of Dippold’s inspirations, mashing up and remixing the obsessions of a lifelong horror fan.
-
Severance star Zach Cherry hit the Deadline Studio at SXSW London this week with director Jason James to discuss genre-mashing romcom-thriller-noir All Night Wrong which premiered at the festival.
Verb
-
The very system itself - schooling and parenting - now operates on quelling agency.
-
The mosquitoes came out in droves at night, just before bed, quelling our ambitions of stargazing or watching for the northern lights.
Verb
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Yet Marketplace Pulse research shows only 23% of sellers are growing revenue and improving margins at the same time; the rest are either grinding or distressed.
-
The grinding process will leave a large mound of chips mixed with soil that will need to be removed and replaced with topsoil.
Verb
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Loss of this support, which is said to cover 25% of the center’s operating costs, would have been devastating both financially and reputationally.
-
These giant invasive snakes are devastating the Everglades ecosystem by eating through the native food web without any natural predators to keep them in check.
Verb
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Of course, attempts to get more revenue out of taxpayers would carry political risks, but voters have been open to squeezing the wealthy.
-
Coach Spencer Carbery has done a masterful job of both squeezing what’s left out of the franchise’s best-ever player — Ovechkin led the Caps in both goals (32) and points (64) in 2025-26 — while simultaneously masking the deficiencies that come with age.
Verb
-
This is an impressive chip, cramming nearly 100 billion transistors onto a piece of silicon roughly the size of a fingernail.
-
The trip took 76 days, with van Dongen splitting time between hours on his bike and cramming into an RV in parks and towns around the country.
Verb
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People remained on the streets for hours, some sitting on the ground hugging pets as dust gathered around them.
-
Up in the stands, the Weahs lost their minds, cheering and hugging everyone in sight, the famous George Weah included.
Cite this Entry
“Crushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crushing. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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