Crush
Crush verb - To put a stop to (something) by the use of force.
Usage example: the government is doing everything to crush the latest guerrilla uprising
Destroy is a synonym for crush in help topic. In some cases you can use "Destroy" instead a verb "Crush", when it comes to topics like hammer. informal substitute
Destroy
Destroy verb - To bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of.
Usage example: their poor scores on the final exam destroyed any chance they might have had to pass the course
Crush is a synonym for destroy in help topic. You can use "Crush" instead a verb "Destroy", if it concerns topics such as defeat, demolish, ruin, wreck.
Mutual synonyms
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
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Hercules eventually reveals his grand scheme: to destroy the Gate between Dream and Reality so nightmares may be physically present in the real world, but not so he may conquer the world - but so he may crush and destroy everyone, nightmares and humans both.
Source: Manga / Yumekui Merry -
This has not stopped Doom from repeatedly trying to kill/destroy/crush/annihilate/insert grandiose adjective here Reed and his entire family in various over-the-top ways on numerous occasions in vengeance.
Source: Comic Book / Doctor Doom -
When you can eventually get it during levels (as opposed to just during a sugar crush) it turns out to specifically target jelly, and can even destroy it through any number of layers of merangue.
Source: Video Game / Candy Crush Saga
Cite this Source
Destroy and Crush. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/crush/destroy
Crush & Destroy. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/crush/destroy>.
Destroy or Crush. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/crush/destroy.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "crush" and "destroy" have occurred on timeline