Meaning & use
crush it
Last updated
Meanings
phrasephrasal verbinformal
To do something extremely well or achieve great success at it.
Grammar: Takes it as the object; the verb changes: she crushed it.
Patterns
- crush it at something
She crushed it in the final interview and got the job.
The team really crushed it at the national competition.
You're going to crush it tomorrow, so just relax.
phrasephrasal verb
To squash or destroy a particular thing, such as a can or a piece of food.
Grammar: Literal use where it refers to a specific thing: crush it with a spoon.
Patterns
- crush it under something
If the can is empty, crush it before you put it in the bin.
Put the garlic on the board and crush it with the flat of the knife.
Word forms
| third person singular | crushes it |
|---|---|
| past tense | crushed it |
| -ing form | crushing it |
Common combinations
- totally crush it
- He totally crushed it at his first open-mic night.
- crush it at work
- She is crushing it at work this year.
- go out and crush it
- Go out there and crush it!
- crush it in the gym
- He has been crushing it in the gym since January.
- crushing it
- Her new podcast is crushing it.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nail it
- Nail it stresses getting something exactly right, while crush it suggests winning with great power.
- ace it
- Ace it is often used for tests and exams, whereas crush it fits many situations, including sport and business.
- smash it
- Smash it is the British equivalent and means almost the same.
- kill it
- Kill it is also informal, but some find it more aggressive.
Opposites
Word family
- crush verb
- to squash or defeat
- crusher noun
- a machine or person that crushes
- crushing adjective
- overwhelming or severe
Practice
Which sentence uses crush it to mean doing very well?
Choose one answer.
In the informal sense, crush it means succeed greatly. The other options are literal squashing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “crush it”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.