crush 1 of 2

1
as in to mash
to cause to become a pulpy mass dark-colored grapes that will be crushed to make red wine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
3
4
5
as in to squeeze
to apply external pressure on so as to force out the juice or contents of after crushing the grapes, let the skins soak in the juice in order to extract some color

Synonyms & Similar Words

6
as in to cram
to fit (people or things) into a tight space the desperate refugees were crushed into the back of the truck

Synonyms & Similar Words

7

crush

2 of 2

noun

1
as in passion
a strong but often short-lived liking for another person fondly remembers the crush that she had on a boy one summer long ago

Synonyms & Similar Words

2

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun crush differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of crush are crowd, horde, mob, and throng. While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

When might crowd be a better fit than crush?

While the synonyms crowd and crush are close in meaning, crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

When is mob a more appropriate choice than crush?

The words mob and crush can be used in similar contexts, but mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

How do throng and horde relate to one another, in the sense of crush?

Both throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters
a horde of shoppers

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 crush
Verb
No longer oppressed by external authority, we are instead crushed by the weight of limitless possibility. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025 Watching the men who trusted him to lead them home devoured by monsters or crushed by clashing rocks was not a fairytale, but a nightmare. Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 May 2025
Noun
This is why many of you will develop a crush or fall in love with someone. Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 22 May 2025 Carpenter crushes right-handed pitching, but that’s hardly news. Zack Meisel, New York Times, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for crush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crush
Verb
  • Reviving could be a simple interact button, or even interacting and then mashing the interact button until the revive meter was full.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • Remove 1 cup of banana slices to a small bowl; mash well with a fork.
    Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 1 June 2025
Verb
  • But the comeback attempts staged by the visitors were repeatedly quelled by one of their greatest strengths.
    Bobby Krivitsky, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • In that case, Israeli soldiers fired live rounds into the air to disperse crowds, with the GHF seeking to quell concerns over its rocky first week of operations in a news release Wednesday.
    Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • Since Hamas’s devastating attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel’s large-scale response, pro-Palestinian protests spread across the United States, including at Israeli consulates and college campuses, during the grinding conflict in Gaza.
    Adam Goldman, New York Times, 22 May 2025
  • That impacts many young players like Pak, who are grinding, just trying to survive on tour.
    Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • For example, colorful hardware in a small kitchen with a lot of cabinets can overwhelm the space with visual clutter rather than color.
    Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 June 2025
  • Almost immediately, the new facility was overwhelmed: Between the year of its founding and 1887, 44 percent of the women admitted into San Clemente were pellagrous.
    Asia London Palomba, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • In some towns, utility poles were removed so the caravans could squeeze through.
    Angela Jackson, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
  • Hundreds of people squeezed into the Jewish Community Center in Boulder, Colo., for a vigil that featured prayer, singing and emotional testimony from a victim and witnesses of the firebombing attack in the city’s downtown, after a federal judge blocked the deportation of the suspect’s family.
    Colleen Slevin, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • The city’s extensive labyrinth of catacombs was nearby as well, underground ossuaries crammed full of the skeletal remains of millions of Parisians.
    Anelise Chen June 3, Literary Hub, 3 June 2025
  • Open spaces and gardens were crammed with cane, cacti, fig trees and pigeon coos.
    Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Verb
  • They obviously didn't get hugged enough as children –either of them.
    Steve Inskeep, NPR, 6 June 2025
  • Hand 103, Bethel, 102 ½. There was bedlam, Hand kids screaming and jumping and yelling and hugging each other.
    Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • While market opportunity and product-market fit are paramount, successful entrepreneurship often stems from an innate drive and passion for pursuing a vision.
    Daniel Ramsey, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
  • On May 24, Saturn will enter Aries for the first time in decades, marking the start of a new era of autonomy and bold passion.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 26 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Crush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crush. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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