Meaning & use
squished
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“squished” is a form of “squish”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
Pressed or crushed something so that it became flat, soft, or out of shape.
Grammar: Can take an object (squished the box) or stand alone with a result phrase (the box squished flat).
Patterns
- squish something flat
- squish something into something
- squish against something
She squished the empty can flat with her foot.
The tomatoes got squished at the bottom of my bag.
He squished the clay into a small ball.
verbintransitive
Made a soft, wet, sucking sound when pressed or walked on.
Grammar: No object; often used about mud, wet ground, or soft food.
Patterns
- squish under something
- squish between your toes
The wet sand squished under our feet.
Water squished out of the sponge when I squeezed it.
My boots squished as I walked through the puddles.
verbintransitiveinformal
Moved into a small space by pressing tightly against people or things.
Grammar: Often followed by into or through to show the tight space.
Patterns
- squish into something
- squish through something
- squish together
We all squished into the back seat of the car.
She squished through the narrow gap in the fence.
Five of us squished together on the small sofa.
Word forms
| third person singular | squishes |
|---|---|
| past tense | squished |
| past participle | squished |
| -ing form | squishing |
Common combinations
- squish flat
- The heavy book squished the cake flat.
- squish into
- He squished the dough into a round shape.
- squish together
- The children squished together to make room.
- get squished
- The grapes got squished in the bottom of the bag.
- squish under your feet
- The wet leaves squished under our feet.
Synonyms and how they differ
- squeeze
- Squeeze means press from two sides, often to get liquid out; squish is more about making something flat or out of shape.
- crush
- Crush suggests stronger force that breaks or damages something; squish is softer and often about food or soft materials.
- mash
- Mash means crush food into a soft mass, usually with a tool; squish can happen by accident.
- compress
- Compress is more formal and technical, used for gases, files, or materials pressed into less space.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: squished or squashed? squished or squelched?
squished vs squashed
Squashed means crushed or flattened by weight or pressure, often with damage; squished is softer and often about something becoming misshapen rather than broken.
squished vs squelched
Squelched describes a wet, sucking sound, especially of feet in mud; squished can also mean this, but it more often means pressed or squeezed.
Practice
Which sentence uses "squished" correctly to mean "pressed into a small space"?
Choose one answer.
"Squish into" is the pattern for fitting tightly into a small space, so "squished into the tiny elevator" is correct. "Squished the tiny elevator" wrongly makes the elevator the object being crushed, and "squished on/for" do not fit this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “squished”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.