crushing 1 of 2

adjective

as in overwhelming

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crushing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of crush
1
as in mashing
to cause to become a pulpy mass dark-colored grapes that will be crushed to make red wine

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2
as in quelling
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force the government is doing everything to crush the latest guerrilla uprising

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in grinding
to reduce to fine particles crushed the baby's medicine tablet and mixed it with applesauce

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4
as in devastating
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress the terrible news of her death simply crushed the entire family

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5
as in squeezing
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

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

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7
as in hugging
to put one's arms around and press tightly she tearfully crushed the child to her breast

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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 crushing
Adjective
And that makes his collapse all the more crushing. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026 Even the laughs and smiles that Joe and Kate Keller issue are fleeting, a respite from the journey toward a more crushing reality. — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
That album, like the Dio Sabbath classics before it, was fine-tuned for metalhead appreciation, thick with crushing riffs and dramatic vocals. — Brad Sanders, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026 Elsewhere, Leipzig bounced back from heavy defeats against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid by crushing Elversberg 4-0. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 Hertzberg said he’s talked to investors who may be willing to buy these bonds at cheaper rates, given the crushing issue the funding is trying to solve. — Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026 The result was a crushing defeat for the GOP, the loss of 48 seats in the House and several more in the Senate (where the Democrats already had more than 60 votes). — Ron Elving, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026 The Jackets obviously acquiesced in a preseason blockbuster deal that sent Matthew Knies the other way, and on Tuesday night, Marchenko got a housewarming gift from his former teammate Adam Fantilli in the form of a bone-crushing hit. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026 Of course, Carrie does plenty of damage on her own, including crushing Billy and Chris to death after flipping their car when Billy tries to run her down. — ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026 There were Zoom sessions and musicians cutting strings in Italy before crushing them into a file and zipping them across an ocean. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2026 The film is now the highest-opening non-musical documentary in ten years, crushing Melania’s record from earlier this year. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crushing
  1. overwhelming
  2. mashing
  3. quelling
  4. grinding
  5. devastating
  6. squeezing
  7. cramming
  8. hugging
Adjective
  • To date, eight bills to recognize the tribe have passed both the State Assembly and Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support, only to be vetoed by Democratic Govs.
    — Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026
  • If the process becomes overwhelming, a reputable data removal service can help with the ongoing work.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of overwhelming
Verb
  • None should be feared more than the slugging Junior Caminero, who will get MVP votes after mashing 42 homers.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • This is what a clever Fair food looks like, mashing classics together in a really simple way.
    — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of mashing
Verb
  • There is something instructive in the agent concluding a diatribe on quelling revolutionary violence with a note about feeling inspired.
    — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of quelling
Verb
  • For decades, junior accountants learned their trade by reconciling accounts, manually entering data, and grinding through the month-end close.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • This innovation—the mass manufacture of ammonia, vastly more efficient than scraping guano off remote islands or grinding mountains of bison bones—removed the most critical nutrient bottleneck in global agriculture.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of grinding
Verb
  • The earthquake comes less than two months after a border region of Nepal and Tibet was struck by devastating flash flooding that left hundreds of people dead and destroyed several communities.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been fighting since April 2023, devastating large parts of the country and threatening stability along its borders.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastating
Verb
  • The remarks followed the release of strong quarterly results, with revenue and earnings beating analysts’ expectations despite a 6% downturn in revenue due to pressure squeezing all broadband purveyors.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Fuel expenses are squeezing daily household budgets and tightening cash flow toward the end of the month, with reports indicating a growing number of French employees are requesting payroll advances to manage month end expenses.
    — , CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of squeezing
Verb
  • Her advice is to avoid cramming activations into the final two weeks before the festival.
    — Sujata Assomull, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
  • To Mooresville resident Lynne Taylor, cramming more homes into a town with notoriously clogged roads is a concern.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of cramming
Verb
  • The women wore maroon unitards with subtle puffed sleeves, while Danchig-Waring’s tank unitard featured two faces in profile, each hugging a side of his waist.
    — Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The camera then panned to the Arrowhead Stadium suite where Swift, 36, was watching her husband, 37, and she could be seen hugging Este Haim during the exciting moment.
    — Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of hugging

Browse Nearby Words

crushes
crushing
crush-proof
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Cite this Entry

“Crushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crushing. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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