I wish people would stop saying things in ways that crush young dreams.
Source: tatoeba (465186)
Crush
/kɹʌʃ/
Synonyms for "crush" (523 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (105)
Noun(16 words)
abaseabashabolishabradeadorationaffectionafflictaggrieveanguishannihilateansweranswer conclusivelyargue downarmyasphyxiateatomizebackbatterbearbear down
Show 60 more words
beatbeat downbellyfulbelovedbeloved objectbendbestblot outbottle upboyfriendbraybreakbreak downbreak into piecesbreak to piecesbreak upbrecciatebring downbring lowbring to tearsbring to termsbruisebuckbumperbuttercalf lovecapacitycasecataplasmcensorchampchargechewchoke offclampclamp down onclampingclamping downclustercohuecomminutecomplementcompresscompressionconfoundconfuteconquerconstraincontradictcontrituratecontrovertcontusecorkcork upcrack down oncramcrashcreasecrinklecrowd
Adjective(1 words)
coarse ground
Strong matches (157)
Noun(31 words)
crowd pushcrunchcrunchescrush seedscrushed leatherdisheartendrubdutch poeder originflake powderfondnessgarrotinggrindingheartthrobinfatuationsitalian polverizzarejamlickinglickslovermacerating
crumbcrumblecrumplecrunchcut to piecescut updampdamp downdarlingdashdeardear onedearly beloveddebasedefeatdegradedelugedemeandemolishdemoralize
Show 89 more words
dental pulpdenydepressdesolatedestroydevastatediffusediminishdisgracedisintegratedismissdispersedispose ofdisruptdraw tearsdrovedrowndumpdump onembarrassembitterensphereexpressextinguishfellfillfinishfissionflattenflockfloodfloorflourfondnessfragmentfull housefull measuregaggalaxygatheringgraingranulategranulizegrategrievegrindgrind to powdergustgustoheapherdhold downhordehosthumblehumiliateinfatuationinundatejamjam upjump onkeep downkeep underkillknock downladinglegionlevigatelight of lovelikeslikingloadlourloveloved onelowermaceratemaimmake mincemeat ofmanglemashmassmastermasticatemillmincemobmortifymouthful
Verb(16 words)
Adjective(1 words)
fine ground
Related words (261)
multiplymultitudemushmuzzlenipnonplusobliterateoppressovercomeovermasteroverpoweroverrideoverthrowoverturnoverwhelmpanoplypaper pulpparrypashpassing fancy
Show 123 more words
passionpastepestlepinchpithplasterporridgepoulticepoundpour water onpowderpresspressureprostratepsych outpuddingpulppulp leadpulpifypulpwoodpulverizepuppy lovepushput downput to silencequashquellquenchrabblerag pulpravagerebutreducereduce to powderreduce to silencerefuterelishrepressride downroll uproutruckruinrumplesaucescatterscrunchset downsettleshakeshameshardshattershivershredshut downshut down onshut upsilencesit down onsit onskinfulsmashsmash all oppositionsmash upsmothersnootfulsorrowspatesplinterspongesquabsquashsqueezesqueezingsquelchsquishstanchstiflestranglestultifysubduesubjectsubjugatesubvertsuffocatesulfate pulpsulfite pulpsuppresstake downtastetelescopethrashthrongthrottletightentighteningtormenttrampletrample downtrample underfoottread underfoottrip uptrituratetruelovetweaktyrannizeunbraceundermineundounmanunnerveunstringupsetvanquishwadwad upweaknesswell-belovedwhite leadwood pulpwreckwrinkle
Noun(70 words)
mushesmushingpancakingpestlespestlingpoundpoundingpowder samplingpressingpulpingpulpspulverizingpuppy lovepureeingpwningrocroiromperroutsruinshatter
Show 50 more words
shellacsskunkskunkingslaughterslaughteringslaughterssledgesledgehammersledgehammerssmashsmashessmashingsmitingsnuffingsnuffsspice grindingsplattingsquashessquashingsqueezesqueezingsquelchessquishingstampedestate of muddlesteamrollingstompstompingstompsstone groundsurgesthrongthwackingthwackstkotomahawkingtorchingtramptrampingtramplingtrampstreadingtreadstrompingtrouncetrouncingvanquishedwhapwhompzorch
Verb(45 words)
Adjective(3 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: infatuation, press, abase, abash, abolish.
- Sentence evidence is available for crush, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, wiktionary, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "crush".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "crush"
Keep "crush" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "crush" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "crush", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "crush" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
50 entriesShowing 16 of 50 words.
More specific
17 entriesShowing 16 of 17 words.
Collocations
9 entriescrowd crushcrush injurycrush oncrush resistancecrush strengthcrush testcrushing forcecrushing powderromantic crush
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriessimilar
6 entriesSample sentences
41 total sentences available.
Lucy's innocent crush turned into an obsession.
Source: tatoeba (573866)
Crush the can before you throw it away.
Source: tatoeba (680610)
He had a crush on his Chinese teacher; but what with all the hormones, he had a crush on just about everyone.
Source: tatoeba (710369)
Showing 4 of 41 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "crush"?
Closest matches include infatuation, press, abase, abash, abolish.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "crush"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.