as in overwhelming
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Dissimilar Words
1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in grinding
to reduce to fine particles
crushed the baby's medicine tablet and mixed it with applesauce
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in devastating
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
the terrible news of her death simply crushed the entire family
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in cramming
to fit (people or things) into a tight space
the desperate refugees were crushed into the back of the truck
Synonyms & Similar Words
7
as in hugging
to put one's arms around and press tightly
she tearfully crushed the child to her breast
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of 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
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
And in the end, the Sox scored their most runs in a game since 1970, crushing the Kansas City Royals 22-1 in front of 31,130 at Rate Field.
—
Lamond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2026
The system has long been mired in controversy, including exam paper leaks and technical failures, placing a crushing burden on students, and financial strain on families investing everything in their children for a promise that can often appear fragile.
—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Galactic Racer captures the satisfaction of skirting around a corner at high speeds and the crushing impact of colliding head-on with a wall.
—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
26 June 2026
Although sentiment is weak, bitcoin’s decline has been more muted than the crushing drawdowns that characterized previous crypto winters.
—
Tanaya MacHeel,
CNBC,
24 June 2026
The one who sets the bone-crushing screen that springs the star, then immediately sprints to the rim for the lob, then turns around and blows up the other team’s pick-and-roll on the other end all in one sequence?
—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 June 2026
The Louvre and Eiffel Tower close early due to crushing heatwave.
—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
24 June 2026
Then the two in the final three holes that sealed the crushing near-miss.
—
Nick Pietruszkiewicz,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2026
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
Many of our schools do a decent job of crushing students’ desire for mental effort.
—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
And in the end, the Sox scored their most runs in a game since 1970, crushing the Kansas City Royals 22-1 in front of 31,130 at Rate Field.
—
Lamond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2026
The system has long been mired in controversy, including exam paper leaks and technical failures, placing a crushing burden on students, and financial strain on families investing everything in their children for a promise that can often appear fragile.
—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Galactic Racer captures the satisfaction of skirting around a corner at high speeds and the crushing impact of colliding head-on with a wall.
—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
26 June 2026
Although sentiment is weak, bitcoin’s decline has been more muted than the crushing drawdowns that characterized previous crypto winters.
—
Tanaya MacHeel,
CNBC,
24 June 2026
The one who sets the bone-crushing screen that springs the star, then immediately sprints to the rim for the lob, then turns around and blows up the other team’s pick-and-roll on the other end all in one sequence?
—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 June 2026
The Louvre and Eiffel Tower close early due to crushing heatwave.
—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
24 June 2026
Then the two in the final three holes that sealed the crushing near-miss.
—
Nick Pietruszkiewicz,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crushing
Adjective
-
Miami-Dade and Palm Beach together account for the overwhelming majority of Florida’s survivor population.
-
Despite entering the match as overwhelming favorites, Argentina is approaching the match cautiously.
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.
-
More often, the series borrows from the overall feeling of Dippold’s inspirations, mashing up and remixing the obsessions of a lifelong horror fan.
Verb
-
The very system itself - schooling and parenting - now operates on quelling agency.
-
The mosquitoes came out in droves at night, just before bed, quelling our ambitions of stargazing or watching for the northern lights.
Verb
-
The hike includes the park’s east side on the Grasslands Trail, which leads to a Kumeyaay grinding rocks site and the scenic Old Mission Dam overlook.
-
Those particles may have been grinding in the joint, causing mechanical wear on the cobalt-chromium femoral head that released cobalt into the surrounding tissue and bloodstream.
Verb
-
The co-writer thing was a total disaster, devastating on every level.
-
One week after devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela, relief efforts in South Florida continue at a steady pace.
Verb
-
Of course, attempts to get more revenue out of taxpayers would carry political risks, but voters have been open to squeezing the wealthy.
-
Coach Spencer Carbery has done a masterful job of both squeezing what’s left out of the franchise’s best-ever player — Ovechkin led the Caps in both goals (32) and points (64) in 2025-26 — while simultaneously masking the deficiencies that come with age.
Verb
-
This is an impressive chip, cramming nearly 100 billion transistors onto a piece of silicon roughly the size of a fingernail.
-
The trip took 76 days, with van Dongen splitting time between hours on his bike and cramming into an RV in parks and towns around the country.
Verb
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Gomez's outfit, styled by Erin Walsh, featured a figure-hugging silhouette with a scoop neckline and a fringe hem.
-
Videos from these gatherings showing chanting crowds beneath concert lights, audience members crying, hugging strangers and dancing barefoot have racked up millions of views online.
Cite this Entry
“Crushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crushing. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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