to crush

Examples

• All

• Here they agree to gather an army to crush the invaders.

• The government's military action aimed to crush the rebellion quickly and decisively.

• In time we could grow powerful enough to crush it completely.

  Gabriel (2007)

• And the government tries to crush that resistance.

  Lex Fridman

• So he could have very easily taken sides and crushed Rome.

• A Polish revolt led by young army officers was crushed by Russian troops.

• His letters to the general and others betray a desire to crush the rebels.

  Academic text (2008)

• Braddock lands a crushing right.

  Cinderella Man (2005)

• The players were determined to crush their rivals in the championship match.

• She felt that failure in the competition would crush her dreams of becoming a professional athlete.

Synonyms

B

to beat

vsto crush

∞ 1.4

To defeat another person or team in a contest

implies a stronger, more complete overwhelming or suppression of opponent

S

to suppress

vsto crush

176 4.8

To stop public protest by force or by people in power

emphasizes complete defeat or overwhelming rather than only stopping activity

O

to oppress

vsto crush

152 6.5

To treat people cruelly or unfairly using power to limit their rights

is about total defeat or overwhelming, not prolonged political mistreatment

V

to vanquish

vsto crush

• Formal

109 7.2

Beat someone or something completely in a conflict

also covers suppressing and overwhelming beyond formal contests

S

to smash

vsto crush

72 5.1

To make someone's hopes, confidence, or plans fail completely

covers decisive defeat or overwhelming by force or pressure

B

to beat out

vsto crush

49 3.8

Defeat others in a contest to win a job or prize

contrasts by implying full overwhelming rather than a narrow win

T

to trounce

vsto crush

14 7.5

To beat an opponent by a large amount in a game or contest

can also mean overwhelming beyond a clear contest victory

Q

to quench

vsto crush

7 6.1

To stop a feeling or action completely

is broader, applying to overwhelming or defeating by force or pressure

Antonyms

L

to liberate

104 4.3

Set someone free from prison or unfair control

U

to uplift

23 3.2

To make someone feel happier and more hopeful

Phrasal Verbs

H

to have a crush on

• Informal

106 3.3

To like someone as more than a friend, often secretly

C

to crush it

• Informal

15 7.9

Do very well in a competition or challenge

C

to crush out

1 4.0

To press a small burning thing so it stops burning, for example a cigarette

Compounds

M

man crush

• Informal

1 7.4

A strong friendly feeling a man has for another man that is not sexual, often for a celebrity

F

fruit crush

1.6

A cold drink made by crushing fruit and often sweetened

How Overwhelming

to annihilate

• NSFW

63 7.5

to crush

386 4.7

to overwhelm

164 4.4

to beat

∞ 1.4

Surface Forms

Etymology