squash

verb

ˈskwäsh How to pronounce squash (audio)
Definition of squashnext
1
as in to mash
to cause to become a pulpy mass the sort of person who couldn't even squash a bug

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to quell
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force squashed any effort to reform the country's power structure

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 squash The east-side neighbors going to court join two other communities who have filed lawsuits in hopes of squashing developers' plans to spend millions of dollars on data centers. — Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 24 Aug. 2026 Therefore, a move to London does not automatically squash entertainment ambitions. — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026 Smudge, yank, squash and draw on photos to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces meant to be shared. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026 Turns out there is a rough correlation between the two, which implies that the Fed will have to add a full percentage point to rates in order to squash inflation. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for squash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squash
  1. mash
  2. quell
  3. crush
  4. suppress
  5. pulp
  6. subdue
  7. squeeze
  8. quash
Verb
  • This time round, Horvat is on to something even more deliciously odd with a study that mashes together grief, matrimonial disharmony, the alien nature of mathematical minds, and desire’s wild pursuit of obscure objects.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The collection features 15 toys that mash up characters from SpongeBob‘s Bikini Bottom with One Piece’s Straw Hat Crew.
    — Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of mash
Verb
  • Hundreds of people were getting killed every year at street-level crossings, and to quell the public outcry, the railroads scrambled to elevate freight tracks citywide at their own expense.
    — John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The Season 3 finale jumps right into Daniel waking up a whole new person in Silo 1, summoned to quell the rebellion quickly going out of control in Silo 17 — Jimmy’s (Steve Zahn) home.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of quell
Verb
  • The vanishing New York chronicled in the blogs of the mid-aughts has mostly vanished, NYU has colonized large swaths of downtown, and a populace struggling to afford the crushing price of housing has arisen in its wake.
    — David Freedlander, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Now workers are crushing concrete and twisted metal into roads, shelter floors, and spaces for community kitchens.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of crush
Verb
  • The superconductivity weakened with the screening and was eventually completely suppressed.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The prairies’ clayey soils and other characteristics suppress tree growth, but allow native grasses, wildflowers and other herbaceous plants to thrive.
    — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • All remaining copies of the first printing were subsequently pulped in Britain.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The biggest fear for people who want to see books preserved through the training process is that AI firms will callously pulp rare books that can never be replaced.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of pulp
Verb
  • As the President sat down to eat with the press corps, a would-be assassin stormed through a security checkpoint before being subdued by the Secret Service.
    — Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • According to Tisch, Cisneros then waved her knives and began to advance on the officers, who attempted to subdue the woman with a Taser before employing lethal force.
    — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of subdue
Verb
  • As more homes come onto the market and mortgage rates remain elevated, sellers are increasingly adjusting prices to attract buyers who have been squeezed by affordability challenges.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The surge has raised concerns that higher gasoline prices could squeeze household budgets and weigh on consumer spending.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • The character proved a hit with fans when the episodes aired in the summer of 2025, stirring excitement that Reiner might return for the fifth series –— a hope that was quashed by his death.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Nelson Velázquez delivered a go-ahead double and Hader converted his 22nd save in as many chances to quash any debate about Alvarez’s early absence.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of quash

Browse Nearby Words

squarish
squash
squashed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Squash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squash. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on squash

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about squash

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