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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 Instead of squashing a volume into an area, these universes seem to cram all the dimensions into a lone quantum point. — Quanta Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026 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 And Jason Momoa, who recently starred in the game-to-movie blockbuster A Minecraft Movie, appeared to be the best guy to put behind the sci-fi series’ big, bug-squashing hand cannons. — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squashing
  1. crushing
  2. suppressing
  3. mashing
  4. quelling
  5. squeezing
  6. subduing
  7. repressing
  8. quashing
Verb
  • Per the Season 4 logline, Dwight (Stallone) fights to legitimize his empire and protect his crew as corrupt politicians, dangerous new enemies, and a crushing personal loss hit from every direction.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Boston is likely to start two left-handers in the series, and the Yankees will surely want to deploy lefty-crushing outfielder Heliot Ramos in both games.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of crushing
Verb
  • Shifting international conversation The new commitments come as some Haitian observers try to shift the conversation around the crisis beyond suppressing armed gangs to other challenges.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Planting fall cover crops improves soil by reducing compaction, preventing erosion, and suppressing weeds.
    — Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of suppressing
Verb
  • This is what a clever Fair food looks like, mashing classics together in a really simple way.
    — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The idea of mashing avocado onto bread wasn’t new then—the Australian chef Bill Granger had been doing it since the 90s, and home cooks had surely arrived at the pairing on their own.
    — Mary Holland, Air Mail, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of mashing
Verb
  • The break with Callaway was the first sign that Good Good’s attempts at quelling the crisis were not going well after Clark’s statement on social media Wednesday night.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • As Matt Reeves is hard at work in Gotham City, James Gunn is quelling some overeager fans about the timeline of the Batman trilogy.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of quelling
Verb
  • Moreover, the short extension of the trade armistice only underscores its fragility; Beijing is still squeezing flows of rare earths to extract concessions from the US and coerce its allies, including Japan.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 26 Sep. 2026
  • That high pressure and the burgeoning nor’easter are squeezing the air between them, increasing wind speeds along the East Coast.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of squeezing
Verb
  • Beer that was fresh, full of flavor and aroma, and hadn’t traveled hundreds of miles or been pasteurized subduing the bright flavors.
    — Blaine Callahan, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The drones rip through the hallways scanning for a threat before disorienting a suspect using flashing lights and subduing them using pepper balls or by ramming into their body, the company says.
    — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of subduing
Verb
  • When elites are strong, dictators need to accommodate them, often by repressing outsiders to shield insiders from potential challenges.
    — José Kaire, The Conversation, 17 July 2026
  • Normally, this modifier gene suppresses the creation of a second kind of hemoglobin, typically made only during fetal development; repressing the gene prompts cells to start making the fetal form of hemoglobin again, which acts as a backup.
    — Roxanne Khamsi, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Definition of repressing
Verb
  • This new paper highlights a number of topics where scientists might best fill the vacuum created by the White House’s report-quashing actions.
    — Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The volunteers would be an additional layer of security to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and the Basij militia, which has played a key role in quashing anti-government protests.
    — Nasser Karimi, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of quashing

Browse Nearby Words

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 29 Sep. 2026.

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