1
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
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Recent Examples of squashing
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
The single marked the first collaboration between the two rappers, effectively squashing rumors of their feud.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
Jacob Ulibarri spent about six hours on New Year’s Day last year squashing hot spots where the Lachman fire had burned.
—Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
TDEs generally occur when stars venture too close to the supermassive black holes that sit at the heart of large galaxies, resulting in the immense gravity of these cosmic titans simultaneously squashing the stellar body horizontally while stretching it vertically.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 18 Feb. 2026
He was immediately taken aback to learn that the process required first squashing the breast flat.
—Erik German, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2026
Jaffe, who has studied 100-year-old families, said most families find compromises between letting the next generation take the reins and squashing their individuality.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
This reeks of corruption in service of squashing free speech.
—Simon Crerar, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
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
The single marked the first collaboration between the two rappers, effectively squashing rumors of their feud.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
Jacob Ulibarri spent about six hours on New Year’s Day last year squashing hot spots where the Lachman fire had burned.
—Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
TDEs generally occur when stars venture too close to the supermassive black holes that sit at the heart of large galaxies, resulting in the immense gravity of these cosmic titans simultaneously squashing the stellar body horizontally while stretching it vertically.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 18 Feb. 2026
He was immediately taken aback to learn that the process required first squashing the breast flat.
—Erik German, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2026
Jaffe, who has studied 100-year-old families, said most families find compromises between letting the next generation take the reins and squashing their individuality.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
This reeks of corruption in service of squashing free speech.
—Simon Crerar, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squashing
Verb
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Meanwhile, Willson Contreras greeted Valdez with a first-inning solo shot to tie the game at 1-1, crushing an 0-2 sinker 394 feet into the Green Monster seats.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
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The Chicago White Sox broke out in a big way offensively Friday, crushing the Athletics 9-2 in front of a sellout crowd of 12,027 at Sutter Health Park.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Moss is low-maintenance, eco-friendly, and can thrive in various environments, benefiting gardens by controlling erosion and suppressing weeds.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Echinacea may interact with caffeine and immune-suppressing medications, though more research is needed to confirm this.—
Megan Nunn,
Verywell Health,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Rice impressed last season, mashing 26 home runs and driving in 65 runs, but Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter thinks the 27-year-old is going to take it to a whole new level this season, boldly predicting Rice mashes 40 home runs this season.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Government forces brought reinforcements into Suqaylabiyah, quelling the violence.—
Omar Albam,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
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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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Higher oil prices have sharply increased operating expenses for shipping firms, squeezing margins and forcing governments, including Hong Kong, to step in with temporary support.—
Lee Ying Shan,Emily Tan,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
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At the same time, China has rapidly expanded capacity in its drive to become more self-sufficient, contributing to a global glut of product and squeezing European companies.—
Marilen Martin,
Bloomberg,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The defense was more than satisfactory in subduing the league’s top offense.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
19 Apr. 2026
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Mario himself is played mostly straight by Pratt, subduing the exaggerated Italian accent from the games, while retaining the underdog aspect of a blue collar guy burdened with greater purpose.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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People fed up with rolling blackouts have staged sporadic protests in recent days, banging pots and shouting slogans against the government, rare demonstrations in a country known for repressing dissent.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Mar. 2026
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The White House imposed sanctions on Larijani in January for his role in repressing nationwide protests in the country, which saw thousands killed in the violent government crackdown, rights group say.—
Yarden Segev,
NBC news,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The federal government has led an all-out assault on renewables, quashing the development of offshore wind, solar and the like, in favor of a reinvigorated embrace of fossil fuels.—
Alex Kuffner,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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Pirro has 30 days to appeal Boasberg’s ruling quashing the subpoenas under the appeals court’s rules.—
Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squashing. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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