squashing

verb

present participle of squash
1
as in crushing
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 suppressing
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 squashing Speakers also recounted the resignation from Congress of Marjorie Taylor Greene in January, maintaining that the Republican Party is squashing its anti-Israel voices, while the Democratic Party is electing them. — Joseph Strauss, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2026 Imagine if Jeff Bezos got bored just owning The Washington Post, firing hundreds of writers and squashing the freedom of its opinion section, and decided to join the American forces parachuting into Venezuela or Iran, only to ignore their orders and seize some prisoners on his own. — Literary Hub, 21 May 2026 Morris fell on top of her, knees spread to keep from squashing Dinah’s chest and maybe killing her. — Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026 Tourists can threaten ecosystems by compacting soils, squashing fragile vegetation and bringing in non-native microbes and plant species. — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 8 May 2026 The actor ended up growing a beard and added some makeup, squashing most concerns that his cover might be blown. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 7 May 2026 Despite squashing his beef with his former crew, Bam Margera will not be back for new stunts, but there will be archival footage of him and Ryan Dunn. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026 Here’s to the people who strive and persevere and realize their dreams, without squashing the dignity of others. — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026 The decision marked the first time in tournament history that the final weeks of the college basketball season would not be played, squashing Atlanta’s plans to host the Final Four. — Shari Rudavsky, IndyStar, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squashing
  1. crushing
  2. suppressing
  3. mashing
  4. quelling
  5. squeezing
  6. subduing
  7. repressing
  8. quashing
Verb
  • But apparently, not even a crushing soccer loss could compete with the power of American hospitality.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • Australia reigned supreme in the T20 World Cup final with a crushing seven-wicket victory over England, completed with 17 balls to spare in front of a Lord’s crowd of 28,887, a record for women’s cricket.
    — Paul Newman, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of crushing
Verb
  • Communism is a system of government in which the ruling party controls major investment decisions while hoarding wealth for itself and suppressing all opposition.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • In his view, the Bank of Japan is suppressing bond yields to prevent interest costs on the debt pile from becoming unmanageable.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 July 2026
Definition of suppressing
Verb
  • 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
  • More often, the series borrows from the overall feeling of Dippold’s inspirations, mashing up and remixing the obsessions of a lifelong horror fan.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 15 June 2026
Definition of mashing
Verb
  • Other ubiquitous Chinese deities, such as the regal Jade Emperor, the faithful warrior Guan Yu, the wondrous savior Mazu, and the demon-quelling Zhong Kui, fill both the popular imagination and the stuff of Daoist ritual.
    — Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
  • The very system itself - schooling and parenting - now operates on quelling agency.
    — Mimosa Jones Tunney, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of quelling
Verb
  • The same rules reshaping the car are squeezing the independent aftermarket out of the picture.
    — Sarwant Singh, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Energy prices soared, squeezing Americans already frustrated by the high cost of living.
    — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of squeezing
Verb
  • Viewers have already seen glimpses of the premiere, which involves Aang and Katara subduing a sea serpent while guiding refugees across a treacherous path.
    — Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026
  • Officers then shot her with a Taser, subduing her enough to take her into custody, police said.
    — City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Definition of subduing
Verb
  • People who were explored through an untraditional lens, or people living on the margins … who are repressing, hiding.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026
  • The Murillo-Ortega dictatorship has been accused of repressing the Nicaraguan people — especially Catholic and LGBTQ citizens.
    — Jake Shore, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Definition of repressing
Verb
  • Industry groups, meanwhile, are quashing proposals for higher taxes or stricter regulation by exerting pressure on lawmakers and cozying up to power players in the worlds of philanthropy, medicine, and science.
    — Lev Facher, STAT, 12 May 2026
  • Recently, scientists found that the sharks keep their eyesight well into senescence, not only quashing some suspicions that the animals were blind but also revealing their vision remains functional in low light for more than a century.
    — Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 4 May 2026
Definition of quashing

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squashes
squashing
squashy
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Cite this Entry

“Squashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squashing. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of squashing for Spanish Speakers

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