Decrease and Crush

decrease

A change downward.
- usage: "there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided"; "there was a sharp drop-off in sales"
- synonyms: lessening, drop-off
A process of becoming smaller or shorter.
- synonyms: decrement
The amount by which something decreases.
- synonyms: decrement
The act of decreasing or reducing something.
- synonyms: diminution, reduction, step-down

Decrease in size, extent, or range.
- usage: "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper"
- synonyms: diminish, lessen, fall
Make smaller.
- usage: "He decreased his staff"
- synonyms: lessen, minify

(v.t.) To cause to grow less; to diminish gradually; as, extravagance decreases one's means.
(v.) A becoming less; gradual diminution; decay; as, a decrease of revenue or of strength.
(n.) To grow less, -- opposed to increase; to be diminished gradually, in size, degree, number, duration, etc. or in strength, quality or excellence; as, they days decrease in length from June to December.
(v.) The wane of the moon.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

crush

Come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority.
- usage: "The government oppresses political activists"
- synonyms: oppress, suppress
To compress with violence, out of natural shape or condition.
- usage: "crush an aluminum can"; "squeeze a lemon"
- synonyms: squash, squelch, mash, squeeze
Come out better in a competition, race, or conflict.
- usage: "Agassi beat Becker in the tennis championship"; "We beat the competition"; "Harvard defeated Yale in the last football game"
- synonyms: beat, beat out, shell, trounce, vanquish
Break into small pieces.
- usage: "The car crushed the toy"
Humiliate or depress completely.
- usage: "She was crushed by his refusal of her invitation"; "The death of her son smashed her"
- synonyms: smash, demolish
Crush or bruise.
- usage: "jam a toe"
- synonyms: jam
Make ineffective.
- usage: "Martin Luther King tried to break down racial discrimination"
- synonyms: break down
Become injured, broken, or distorted by pressure.
- usage: "The plastic bottle crushed against the wall"

(v.t.) To press or bruise between two hard bodies; to squeeze, so as to destroy the natural shape or integrity of the parts or to force together into a mass; as, to crush grapes.
(n.) A violent collision or compression; a crash; destruction; ruin.
(v.t.) To overwhelm by pressure or weight; to beat or force down, as by an incumbent weight.
(v.i.) To be or become broken down or in or pressed into a smaller compass, by external weight or force; as, an eggshell crushes easily.
(v.t.) To reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding; to comminute; as, to crush quartz.
(v.t.) To oppress or burden grievously.
(n.) Violent pressure, as of a crowd; a crowd which produced uncomfortable pressure; as, a crush at a peception.
(v.t.) To overcome completely; to subdue totally.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary