squash

¹ American  

[skwosh, skwawsh] / skwɒʃ, skwɔʃ /

verb (used with object)

• squashes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• squashed,
  past participle,  past
• squashing
  present participle

1. to press into a flat mass or pulp; crush.

   She squashed the flower under her heel.

2. to suppress or put down; quash.

   Synonyms:

   repress, crush, quell

3. to silence or disconcert (someone), as with a crushing retort or emotional or psychological pressure.

4. to press forcibly against or cram into a small space; squeeze.

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verb (used without object)

• squashes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• squashed,
  past participle,  past
• squashing
  present participle

1. to be pressed into a flat mass or pulp.

2. (of a soft, heavy body) to fall heavily.

3. to make one's way with a splashing sound; splash.

4. to be capable of being or likely to be squashed.

   Tomatoes squash easily.

5. to squeeze or crowd; crush.

noun

1. the act or sound of squashing.

2. the fact of squashing or of being squashed.

3. something squashed or crushed.

4. something soft and easily crushed.

5. Also called squash racquets. a game for two or four persons, similar to racquets but played on a smaller court and with a racket having a round head and a long handle.

6. Also called squash tennis. a game for two persons, resembling squash racquets except that the ball is larger and livelier and the racket is shaped like a tennis racket.

7. British. a beverage made from fruit juice and soda water.

   lemon squash.

squash ² American  

[skwosh, skwawsh] / skwɒʃ, skwɔʃ /

noun

• squashes,
  plural
• squash
  plural

1. the fruit of any of various vinelike, tendril-bearing plants belonging to the genus Curcurbita, of the gourd family, as C. moschata or C. pepo, used as a vegetable.

2. any of these plants.

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squash ¹ British  

/ skwɒʃ /

verb

1. to press or squeeze or be pressed or squeezed in or down so as to crush, distort, or pulp

2. (tr) to suppress or overcome

3. (tr) to humiliate or crush (a person), esp with a disconcerting retort

4. (intr) to make a sucking, splashing, or squelching sound

5. to enter or insert in a confined space

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noun

1. a still drink made from fruit juice or fruit syrup diluted with water

2. a crush, esp of people in a confined space

3. something that is squashed

4. the act or sound of squashing or the state of being squashed

5. Also called: squash rackets, squash racquets. a game for two or four players played in an enclosed court with a small rubber ball and light long-handled rackets. The ball may be hit against any of the walls but must hit the facing wall at a point above a horizontal line See also rackets

6. Also called: squash tennis. a similar game played with larger rackets and a larger pneumatic ball

squash ² British  

/ skwɒʃ /

noun

1. any of various marrow-like cucurbitaceous plants of the genus Cucurbita , esp C. pepo and C. moschata , the fruits of which have a hard rind surrounding edible flesh

2. the fruit of any of these plants, eaten as a vegetable

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• squasher
  noun
• unsquashed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• squash
  plural
• squashes
  plural

Participles

• squashing
  present
• squashed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• squash
  simple
• squashes
  simple
• have squashed
  perfect
• has squashed
  perfect
• am squashing
  progressive
• are squashing
  progressive
• is squashing
  progressive
• have been squashing
  perfect progressive
• has been squashing
  perfect progressive

Past

• squashed
  simple
• had squashed
  perfect
• was squashing
  progressive
• were squashing
  progressive
• had been squashing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will squash
  simple
• will have squashed
  perfect
• will be squashing
  progressive
• will have been squashing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of squash¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English squachen, squatche “destroy, smash,” from Old French esquacher, esquasser, from Vulgar Latin exquassāre. (unrecorded), equivalent to ex- intensive prefix + quassāre “to shake”; see ex- ¹, quash

Origin of squash²

An Americanism dating back to 1635–45; from Narragansett ( English spelling) askútasquash (plural)

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Explanation

A squash is the edible fruit of squash plant, but it's considered a vegetable in the kitchen, like peppers and tomatoes. As a verb, squash means to compress or mash — like the way your picky little sister might squash the roasted squash on her plate with a fork. Squash that grows on a vine comes from the Native American Narragansett word askutasquash, "the things that can be eaten raw." The game called squash has nothing to do with this plant or its delicious fruit. This racket sport's name comes from the fact that players hit the soft rubber ball so hard that they squash it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

squash squashes squashed squashing

These repeated half-term breaks and the long summer vacation mean French teachers have to squash their curriculum into 162 days per year, compared to 225 days in Germany for example, according to the OECD.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

For their first course guests enjoyed yellow squash, wild mushrooms and crispy pancetta.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

In summer, mine is a pan of roasted red onion, red pepper, squash and eggplant, marinated while warm in olive oil, herbs and a splash of red wine vinegar.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

He received his bachelor’s degree at Harvard University, where he took up squash, and became a dominant player, both in college and in national competition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Edamame and wild rice in a bowl with tender squash topped with lii pwayr—saskatoon berries—in a thick sauce, almost a gravy?

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

“If this thing falls on me and kills me, it’s gonna be like, ‘Giant-squash squashes squash-professor,’” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2025

“Time bends. Space is boundless. It squashes a man’s ego. I feel lonely.”

From New York Times ● May 15, 2024

Root vegetables — like carrots, onions, potatoes and beets — winter squashes, cruciferous vegetables and greens are just a few notable cold-weather favorites.

From Salon ● Feb. 23, 2024

The gravitational pull also squashes the spacetime, altering its shape depending on how it's observed.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 21, 2024

Chandra was busy in the courtyard carrying water from the well to the small vegetable garden, where squashes and melons were creeping about, looking for room to grow.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan

It is another sign of water vole activity - squashed poo.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

The factory that AFP visited in Hunan province's Pingjiang turns out nearly 700 tonnes per day of the spongy, red-coloured strips, which look like squashed French fries covered in oil.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

The Cubs, however, squashed thoughts of a potential comeback with a three-run rally in the sixth against Edgardo Henriquez and Tanner Scott.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

It won’t surprise you that nowadays our daydreaming time is shrinking, one more thing squashed by social media.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

The little nose you made has been squashed by a giant clay splotch spread across the face.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge

Instead Zverev pounced, breaking Shelton’s big serve in the first game of the match and squashing his momentum on a humid afternoon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Concerns about AI squashing software company earnings turning into a run on private-credit funds lending to software firms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026

Jacob Ulibarri spent about six hours on New Year’s Day last year squashing hot spots where the Lachman fire had burned.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026

The retired farmer had queued up on November 29 at a launch of Bardella's new book in the southern town of Moissac, squashing an egg on his head when he reached him.

From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026

And I wasn’t sure about Betsy, but that always made me feel just a little bit better, like I was squashing Darren Ackleman in my head, even if I couldn’t squash him in real life.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

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Related Words

• crush
• extinguish
• flatten
• quash
• quell
• squish
• suppress
• trample

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