Verbs for Using Pressure and Force · Verbs: Manual Action

to make something smaller and more condensed

"The machine compacts the trash tightly."

"The garbage truck uses a powerful hydraulic press to compact the trash so that more waste can fit inside the container."

to compress or form into a lump or thick mass, often by tightly squeezing or rolling

"Wad the paper into a ball."

"She wadded up the wet paper towel and threw it into the trash can because it was no longer useful."

to press or squeeze something with force

"Do not squash the ripe tomatoes."

"Please do not squash the berries when you pack them into the container because they will become mushy and leak juice everywhere."

to grind or crush something, especially grains or other materials, using a mechanical device or equipment

"The machine mills the grain."

"The industrial machine was designed to mill large quantities of ore into fine powder for further processing."

to form and press dough or wet clay with the hands

"Knead the dough for ten minutes."

"You need to knead the bread dough for at least ten minutes to develop the gluten."

to crush food into a soft mass

"Mash the potatoes with butter."

"The baby loves to eat mashed bananas because they are soft sweet and easy to swallow without any teeth."

to forcefully fit or insert something into a tight space

"Wedge the door open slightly."

"He had to wedge the small stone into the gap to keep the door from closing completely."

to manage to find or create a small amount of space or time for someone or something, often with difficulty

"Squeeze in one more appointment please."

"Can we squeeze in one more chair at the table for my aunt who just arrived unexpectedly from out of town."

to force something into a tight or confined space

"Shoehorn the clothes in."

"She had to shoehorn all of her clothes into the small suitcase to avoid paying for an extra bag."

to apply pressure with a compressing or constricting motion, typically using the hands

"Squeeze the bottle gently."

"He had to squeeze through the narrow gap between the two buildings."

to extract or remove liquid from something by twisting, squeezing, or compressing it

"Wring out the cloth."

"She had to wring out the wet towel to dry it before packing."

to reduce the volume or size of something by applying pressure, squeezing, or condensing it

"Compress the file before emailing it."

"The software can compress large video files into much smaller sizes without significantly reducing the quality of the image."

to push a thing tightly against something else

"Press the button hard."

"You need to press the correct sequence of buttons to unlock the security system."

to make more dense or compact

"Condense the water vapor."

"The scientist worked to condense the gas into a liquid state for analysis."

to create small folds or ridges in something by pinching or pressing it together

"Crimp the pie edges with a fork."

"He used a special tool to crimp the edges of the pie crust to create a decorative pattern before baking it."

to squeeze or crunch something into a compact shape or form

"Scrunch your toes in the sand."

"The little girl scrunched up her nose in disgust when she smelled the strong odor of the rotten eggs."

to forcibly push something against a surface until it breaks or is damaged or disfigured

"The machine will crush the cans."

"The machine is designed to crush empty aluminum cans so they can be recycled more efficiently."

to crush something into small particles by rubbing or pressing it against a hard surface

"Grind the coffee beans into powder."

"You should grind the coffee beans just before brewing to get the freshest and most flavorful cup of coffee."

to forcibly push or cram something into a tight or confined space

"Jam the box here."

"He tried to jam too many clothes into the small suitcase."

to squeeze or push something into a tight or confined space

"Force the door open."

"They had to force the stuck window open to get some fresh air."

to forcefully push for something to be accepted or approved, often using strong actions to overcome resistance

"They rammed the proposal."

"The angry driver deliberately tried to ram his car into the back of the vehicle that had cut him off on the highway earlier."

to hit or place something with considerable force, often resulting in a loud noise

"Do not bang the door shut."

"Someone banged loudly on the front door in the middle of the night startling the entire family awake."

to hit sharply, often with a quick and forceful motion

"Rap on the door loudly."

"He decided to rap sharply on the window to get the attention of the person inside the building."

to hit or strike with great force, often making a loud noise

"Slam the door when you leave."

"She became so extremely angry that she decided to slam the heavy door shut behind her loudly."

to hit with a swift and forceful motion, often with a swinging action

"She swats the fly with a newspaper."

"The boy swatted the fly with a rolled up newspaper and finally killed it after several failed attempts."