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 Researchers have attributed this slump to a slow rate of technological innovation and increasingly tight local regulations that have squashed incentives to build. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 24 June 2026 Mathew Street was indeed close at hand but over the frontier of Liverpool’s dockland, a narrow cobbled lane between towering Victorian warehouses, blocked by heavy trucks and strewn with empty crates, cabbage stalks, and squashed oranges to the peril of Brian’s beautifully polished brogues. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2026 And this is a classic case of lawfare used to squash a First Amendment protester like myself. — Shawna Mizelle, CBS News, 11 June 2026 But a legion of opponents are determined to squash the celebration. — Los Angeles Times, 11 June 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
  • In total, Minnesota mashed a season-high six homers Saturday to down the Yankees 11-4 and even up the weekend series at 1-all.
    — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 4 July 2026
  • Rooker, 31, is known as one of the most durable players in the league, having played in all 162 games last season and mashing at least 30 home runs in each of the last three seasons.
    — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of mash
Verb
  • The security adjustments aren’t expected to quell Mexico’s World Cup fever.
    — Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • The people ended up burning down the house of one of the tax collectors, prompting President George Washington to raise the first federal army against them and quickly quell the revolt.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of quell
Verb
  • Collins crushed a home run to dead center to start the eighth inning and tie the game.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 11 July 2026
  • Fans of Brazil, Colombia and Portugal also were crushed that their teams, expected to make deep runs, crashed out so early.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
Definition of crush
Verb
  • Despite not caring what happens to Eli James, Charles leads the town in trying to suppress the fire.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
  • While accountability matters, that environment can unintentionally suppress creativity, innovation, and professional autonomy.
    — Tiffany Thenor, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • Mathieu Lewis-Rolland / Getty Images The tank was designed to hold 900,000 gallons of a hazardous chemical known as white liquor, a chemical brew that contains sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfide and disodium carbonate and is used in the paper-pulping process, officials have said.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 31 May 2026
  • The proprietary alkaline pulping method used to produce its lyocell is cleaner and more efficient than traditional chemical approaches, lowering the environmental footprint from the start while improving production efficiency.
    — SJ Studio, Sourcing Journal, 29 Dec. 2025
Definition of pulp
Verb
  • Treasury market securities that investors use to price in inflation expectations are subdued.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 8 July 2026
  • For all its 120 proof, the ethanol is quite subdued, which allows sweeter (brown sugar), fruitier (figs, cherries), spicier (cinnamon), and lightly smoky aromas (BBQ sauce burnt ends) to really stand apart.
    — David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of subdue
Verb
  • The result is a new generation of patients planning trips around treatments rather than squeezing appointments into an existing vacation.
    — Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
  • With inflation squeezing their margins and rideshare platforms demanding a large share of their earnings, a driver’s split-second decision to accept a fare is a high-stakes calculation of business survival.
    — Christopher S. Tang, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • However, since then, the county has secured a victory after a judge earlier this month quashed a grand jury subpoena seeking the names and personal contact information for every person who worked during the 2020 election in the county.
    — Daniel Klaidman, CBS News, 13 July 2026
  • Just quash that bill and stop playing with the bullies on the playground.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 10 July 2026
Definition of quash

Browse Nearby Words

squarish
squash
squashed
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Cite this Entry

“Squash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squash. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on squash

Nglish: Translation of squash for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about squash

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