To stop something from continuing by using official power or authority
Examples:
The judge decided to quash the indictment against the defendant.Efforts to quash the rumor quickly spread across the town.The company moved swiftly to quash the unauthorized reports.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Squash
/skwɒʃ/
To press or crush something with force so that it becomes flat or changes shape.
Examples:
He decided to squash the rumor before it spread further.The kids loved to squash grapes with their feet at the festival.She tried to squash her doubts and focus on her goals.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
Remember that squash often involves physical compression, like squashing a bug or a food item. It often deals with tangible, physical actions.
Quash is usually used in a legal or official context to refer to the rejection or voiding of something, like a decision or a rumor. It's more about removing or nullifying abstract things.
Think of a squash as something that can be squashed in your hands or under your feet – squash the vegetable is related to this idea.
Associate quash with quelling or overpowering – it's often used to describe the act of subduing, nullifying, or putting down forcibly.
Squash in sports refers to a game played with rackets, while quash cannot fit into such a context.