1 B1 neutral
To extinguish a cigarette, flame, or fire by pressing it firmly against a surface.
"He crushed out his cigarette in the ashtray and stood up to leave."
separable
crush out
B2 neutral separable transitive
To extinguish something by pressing or squeezing; or to eliminate something completely by crushing it.
In plain English
To put out something like a cigarette by pressing it hard, or to completely get rid of something.
What does "crush out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To eliminate or suppress something completely through force or pressure.
"The regime crushed out all traces of political opposition within a year."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To press or crush something outward until it is extinguished or eliminated.
Actually means
To put out something like a cigarette by pressing it hard, or to completely get rid of something.
Usage tip
Most commonly used for extinguishing cigarettes. Can also be used figuratively to mean suppressing or eliminating something entirely.
Words that pair with "crush out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
cigarette flame fire resistance rebellion hope
How to conjugate "crush out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
crush out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
crushes out
he/she/it
Past simple
crushed out
yesterday
Past participle
crushed out
have + pp
-ing form
crushing out
continuous
Hear "crush out" in the wild
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