December 21, 2011 - Word of the Day: crush

Use the word "crush" when you apply force to change the shape of something or when you make something flat or smash something:

This man is crushing something with his feet.

• If you crush grapes, you can make wine.
• If you crush some oranges, you can make orange juice.
• The front end of my car was crushed in an accident.
• Aluminum cans are easy to crush with your foot or your hand.
• Someone crushed Tom's cell phone by accidentally sitting on it.
• When grocery shopping, try not to crush soft things in your cart like bread or fruit.
• Crushed peanuts are good on top of an ice cream sundae. (This sentence uses "crush" as an adjective.)
• Passengers on a crowded bus or train can feel like they are being crushed.

Note: If you use the word "crush" as a noun, it refers to a romantic interest, usually one that's temporary:

She has a crush on a famous singer.

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