Quash-Squash | Commonly Confused Words
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Master confusing words with ease

Quash vs. Squash

Quash

/kwɒʃ/
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:

etymology
  • Squash begins with sq just like the shape of a gourd which is what the vegetable squash looks like.
  • Think of quash as quickly squash, as in quickly stop something; this relates to ending or suppressing it suddenly.
  • Squash can be a sport or a vegetable, both you can play or eat respectively, making it more tangible and physical.
  • Remember that quash often deals with rulings or decisions, like quash a rebellion or a legal judgment, which means it's figurative.
  • Both words depict action, but squash involves more physical or literal compression while quash implies cessation or annulment of non-physical things like ideas, events, or rulings.
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