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
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
ArsTechnica, 2 May 2026
Often, amid the scramble of a breaking story or a crushing deadline, a cool, smiling Chardy would shrug and utter the mantra that came to define him to his Herald colleagues.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
Concrete has been buttressed to prevent it from collapsing and crushing workers.
—Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 30 Apr. 2026
After scoring a crushing victory over Hezbollah in 2024, Israel is finding its ongoing campaign in Lebanon much more difficult, in large part due to its adoption of the war in Ukraine’s deadliest innovation.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 30 Apr. 2026
At the time, the Iranian economy was suffering crushing inflation and rampant food prices.
—Charmaine N. Willis, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026
Andy also feels the soul-crushing heat, getting lambasted for no one reading her stories before lining up an exclusive interview with a wealthy, reclusive philanthropist (Lucy Liu).
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
The goal, Hall’s second of the series, came with less than five minutes left in a wild and physical frame in which Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven knocked out Carolina defenseman Alexander Nikishin with a crushing hit and Ottawa forward Ridly Greig tried to run roughshod on the Canes.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Store them in one layer to avoid crushing, and keep them in cool, dry conditions in the fridge to hinder mold growth.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 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
That includes physicists at the University of Manchester, who were intrigued by the difference between crushing an empty soda can versus one that is full of liquid.
—ArsTechnica, 2 May 2026
Often, amid the scramble of a breaking story or a crushing deadline, a cool, smiling Chardy would shrug and utter the mantra that came to define him to his Herald colleagues.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
Concrete has been buttressed to prevent it from collapsing and crushing workers.
—Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 30 Apr. 2026
After scoring a crushing victory over Hezbollah in 2024, Israel is finding its ongoing campaign in Lebanon much more difficult, in large part due to its adoption of the war in Ukraine’s deadliest innovation.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 30 Apr. 2026
At the time, the Iranian economy was suffering crushing inflation and rampant food prices.
—Charmaine N. Willis, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026
Andy also feels the soul-crushing heat, getting lambasted for no one reading her stories before lining up an exclusive interview with a wealthy, reclusive philanthropist (Lucy Liu).
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
The goal, Hall’s second of the series, came with less than five minutes left in a wild and physical frame in which Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven knocked out Carolina defenseman Alexander Nikishin with a crushing hit and Ottawa forward Ridly Greig tried to run roughshod on the Canes.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Store them in one layer to avoid crushing, and keep them in cool, dry conditions in the fridge to hinder mold growth.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crushing
Adjective
-
With overwhelming bipartisan support, Indiana enacted one of the most comprehensive state-level national security laws in the country.—
Joe Gebbia Sr,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The overwhelming consensus among economists is that the Federal Open Market Committee, or FOMC, will hold rates steady.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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However, the election itself has a more lax timeline, so Kemp could wait to schedule it until September or even November, leaving District 13 without leadership and mashing the special election up with the normal midterm election for Scott’s seat.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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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
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Their experiments confirmed that adding a single squirt of water to coffee beans before grinding can significantly reduce the static electric charge on the resulting grounds.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 Apr. 2026
-
This stock was a disaster from May 2025 through the November lows near $48, losing roughly half its value in a grinding downtrend.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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House Republicans approved the resolution last month despite conservationists’ warnings that the move would lead to devastating pollution in one of the country’s last remaining wild areas.—
Todd Richmond,
Twin Cities,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Two tornadoes ripped through west Michigan on April 14, devastating a family dairy farm in Fenick, releasing hundreds of cows and leaving thousands without power.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Gas prices, housing costs and groceries are squeezing people who are working hard yet still falling behind.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
Prices for everything are higher, squeezing already tight budgets to the breaking point, with no end in sight.—
The Virginian Pilot And Daily Press Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Verb
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If a dozen new works over four days isn’t enough, try cramming 50 plays by 50 playwrights into a single day.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
1 May 2026
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The Halfday Convertible 2-in-1 Garment Duffel Bag will help avoid cramming extra clothes into your main bag, which usually leads to everything getting messy and disorganized.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The pair posed on the electric blue carpet, hugging and embracing for the cameras.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
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For background, photos showed Russini and Vrabel hugging and holding hands at a private resort in Arizona last month.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crushing. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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