1
2
as in quells
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
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Recent Examples of squashes
Chicken, bacon, and ranch might as well be the holy trio that squashes all fights and satisfies every hangry complaint.
—
Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
Calling the deal off also squashes a host of questions Netflix insiders had about how HBO and Netflix would realistically co-exist in the same company, another staffer said.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Jo Brand squashes one of hers, David Baddiel tries to eat his, while Rose Matafeo and Ed Gamble rip theirs to shreds and Katy Wix overestimates the naturalism of holding a hard hat under one arm for an extended period of time.
—Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
Calling the deal off also squashes a host of questions Netflix insiders had about how HBO and Netflix would realistically co-exist in the same company, another staffer said.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Jo Brand squashes one of hers, David Baddiel tries to eat his, while Rose Matafeo and Ed Gamble rip theirs to shreds and Katy Wix overestimates the naturalism of holding a hard hat under one arm for an extended period of time.
—Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squashes
Verb
-
Set to John Philip Sousa military marches, the zany spectacle mashes up a night at the Moulin Rouge with a Busby Berkeley extravaganza.—
Rachel Howard,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Cheaper pruners use a blade and anvil — essentially one sharp blade that mashes the branch against a flat surface.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
While the presumption was always that Messi would renew with the Herons, the news quells any lingering anxiety.—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Twenty years later, an adult Guinevere is building her ghostwriting career when her estranged artist brother announces an installation titled Mother, which quells disturbing revelations in Guinevere.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Mike Tyson plays a space-cadet version of himself, but the show transcends the one-note premise with its smart deployment of sharp joke writing, stellar voice actors (including Norm Macdonald, who crushes as a pigeon with a drinking problem), and a heavy dose of metafiction.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Because these drugs are so precious, new antibiotics are deliberately held in reserve to slow the emergence of resistance, a practice known as stewardship that benefits future patients but crushes commercial prospects.—
Henry Skinner,
STAT,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Blue light from screens suppresses melatonin by up to 80%, delaying sleep onset when viewed within an hour of bedtime and fragmenting deep sleep.—
John La Puma,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
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Blue light suppresses melatonin and makes falling back asleep significantly harder.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The prospect of higher food prices comes as the category already squeezes many shoppers.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
-
It also gets compressed, which squeezes the air and puts even more pressure on it, which heats it up.—
Zoe Mintz,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Royd subdues and binds her before taking off to restore the power.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
13 Nov. 2025
-
For those who are more into curves than angles, the Bialetti Moon takes all the functional elements of the moka stovetop espresso maker and subdues them with a rounded stainless steel silhouette.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The portrait of a woman who represses and conceals a rape struck a chord as the #MeToo movement took off and put Trobisch on the map.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
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Trying to eliminate one side inevitably represses part of our own nature.—
Richard P. Weigand,
Rolling Stone,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squashes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squashes. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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