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Prepositions after verbs

Crush by, under, with, or on?

Crush commonly appears with by, under, with, and on in different meanings. Crush to is uncommon after the verb itself.

Quick answer

Common prepositions with crush

Use crush by for the cause of pressure, crush under for something trapped beneath weight, crush with for overwhelming emotion, and crush on for romantic attraction. Crush to is not a standard pattern after the verb.

The fence was crushed by the truck.
Several boxes were crushed under the shelves.
She has a crush on her classmate.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
crush by + force or object

Showing what caused damage

Use by in passive structures to name the thing causing pressure or destruction.

The can was crushed by the machine.
2
crush under + weight

Showing something trapped beneath pressure

Use under when something is beneath a heavy object.

The papers were crushed under the books.
3
crush with + emotion

Showing emotional impact

Use with for emotions or burdens that overwhelm someone.

He was crushed with disappointment after the result.
4
crush on + person

Talking about romantic attraction

The noun crush commonly takes on before a person.

Mia has a crush on her colleague.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
crush by
The wall was crushed by falling rocks.
show the cause of physical damage
crush under
The toy was crushed under the chair.
show pressure from above
crush with
She was crushed with grief.
show overwhelming emotion
crush on
He has a crush on his neighbour.
romantic interest; this uses the noun crush
crush to
The machine crushed the metal to powder.
to introduces a result, not a fixed verb-preposition pattern

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using crush to as a fixed pattern

To usually introduces a result, not a regular preposition after crush.

✕ She was crushed to the news. ✓ She was crushed by the news.

Confusing crush on and crush with

Crush on expresses attraction, while crushed with expresses emotion.

✕ He was crushed on sadness. ✓ He was crushed with sadness.

Missing the passive with by

By is common when naming the cause in passive sentences.

✕ The box was crushed the truck. ✓ The box was crushed by the truck.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The bicycle was crushed ___ the bus.
2. She has a crush ___ her teammate.
3. The bag was crushed ___ heavy luggage.

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Frequently asked questions

Is 'crush on' a verb phrase?

Usually no. In this expression, crush is a noun meaning romantic attraction.

Can I say 'crushed with grief'?

Yes. Crushed with is used for strong emotions or emotional burdens.

Is 'crush to' correct?

Only when to introduces a result, such as 'crush it to dust'. It is not a regular fixed combination.

calculate, by, calculate, in, calculate, from "call for" or "call on"? "campaign for" or "campaign against"? cancel by, due, at, in or for? capitulate to, in, like, by or after? captivate by, for, with, from or in? "capture by" or "capture in"? "care about" or "care for"? carry with, by, in, to or into? carve into, out, in, on or with? cast in, into, for, by or on? "catch in", "catch by" or "catch on"?

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