There are some crossword clue challenges that land squarely in your brain and demand immediate attention, while others linger, a persistent itch on the edge of your consciousness until that glorious “aha!” moment strikes. Today, we’re diving into a particularly satisfying example that marries two distinct, yet surprisingly connected, actions into a concise five-letter solution: “Extinguish, crush (5).”
At first glance, this crossword clue might seem straightforward. You have two strong verbs, each conjuring vivid images. “Extinguish” brings to mind putting out a flame, dampening a spirit, or bringing something to an end. “Crush,” on the other hand, makes us think of physical compression, overwhelming defeat, or even a strong, often unrequited, affection. The beauty – and sometimes the frustration – of a well-crafted crossword clue lies in its ability to take seemingly disparate concepts and bind them with a single word.
For the seasoned crossword solver, the five-letter constraint immediately narrows the field. We begin to cycle through our mental lexicon, searching for words that embody either “extinguish” or “crush.” But the trick here, as with many a cunning crossword puzzle indicator, is finding the elusive overlap. Is there a word that can mean both? Or perhaps a word that implies one action as a
result
of the other? This is where the true detective work of crossword wordplay comes into its own.
Consider the various ways one might “extinguish” something. A fire can be extinguished with water, sand, or even by depriving it of oxygen. A hope can be extinguished by despair. Now, think about “crush.” You can crush grapes for wine, crush an opponent in a game, or feel your spirits crushed by bad news. The magic of this particular crossword clue is that there’s a common ground, a shared semantic space where these two actions can converge into a single, elegant verb. It forces you to think beyond the most obvious definitions and explore the nuances of language.
Many a Sunday morning has been spent gazing at a blank space in the grid, knowing the answer for a crossword clue like this is just beyond reach, a phantom on the tip of the tongue. You might start by listing synonyms for “extinguish” – douse, quench, snuff, quell. Then you’d do the same for “crush” – squash, shatter, defeat, overwhelm. The real breakthrough often comes when you start to look for words that appear on
both
lists, or a word that, through its multiple meanings, can encompass both ideas. Sometimes it’s a word that describes the action of “crushing” something
so thoroughly
that it is effectively “extinguished,” especially in a metaphorical sense, or vice-versa.
This kind of crossword clue is a masterclass in economy of language. It asks you to delve into the subtle power of verbs, to understand how one action can lead to another, or how a single word can carry a weighty double meaning. It’s a testament to the richness of English, where context and connotation play as vital a role as direct definition. The satisfaction of finally filling in those five letters, seeing how perfectly it fits both aspects of the clue, is one of the purest joys of crossword puzzle solving. It’s a small victory against the blank grid, a moment of linguistic triumph. So, take a moment to ponder “Extinguish, crush (5)” – a superb example of how a simple phrase can spark a deep exploration of words.
Available Answers:
QUELL.
Last seen on the crossword puzzle: Metro Quick Crossword Clues Sunday, 21 September 2025