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

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)

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

Comparing key components of padel, pickleball, tennis and squash at-a-glance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Badminton and squash were also scrapped and there will be no diving competitions.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

But in the bottom of the fourth, he helped squash one.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Aerobic activities included brisk walking, running, jogging, swimming, cycling, tennis, squash, strenuous outdoor work, and stair climbing.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026

They were gonna pick squash in the garden for Jackie to take back to Raleigh, and Bertha was gonna share her super-secret recipe for squash casserole with cream of mushroom soup.

From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor

Drinks high in sugar can include fizzy sodas, energy drinks, sweetened juices, squashes, sweetened tea and coffee, and flavored milks.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 18, 2026

“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

The family of Ozzy Osbourne have visited a mural of the rock legend made from more than 10,000 pumpkins and squashes.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2025

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

From New York Times ● May 15, 2024

Once upon a time a farmer planted a little seed in his garden, and after a while it sprouted and became a vine and bore many squashes.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

They’re scouting whose AI strategies should be amplified after generating a great return, and what wastefulness should be squashed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

For example, the likes of pugs, Frenchies and English bulldogs all have issues with their breathing because of their squashed facial features and Scottish Fold cats suffer a lot from arthritis.

From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026

Why did I think, “Oh nah, it’s cool. We squashed it.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2026

Supporters say looser schedules centred around practical projects and outdoor activities help nourish creativity that is squashed by the national curriculum.

From Barron's ● Dec. 30, 2025

His recycled sandwich resembled a rubber band squashed in lint.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

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

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

County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, who spearheaded the proposal, said it is intended to keep housing affordable for renters without squashing the ability of mom-and-pop landlords to survive.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2024

The complaint accuses it of squashing the growth of new apps and reducing the appeal of rival products.

From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2024

Eunjoo climbed onto the chair next with Junsoo, and he jumped into Jinjoo’s arms, squashing their rice balls.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

Related Words

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