smush together

USAGE SUMMARY

"smush together" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is often used to refer to combining two things together, usually using pressure. For example, "I smushed the two pieces of clay together to make a sculpture."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

In sound and style, they smush together eras.

The Guardian - Music

There is also a section of the AT&T Web site (att.com/wheredoyoulive) where visitors can smush together their own sets of city, state and country names.

The New York Times

This triggers nuclear fusion, in which pairs of atoms smush together to form larger ones, generating lots of heat and pressure that pushes back outward.

BBC

CloudGOO, a newly launched Android application with something of a silly name, offers a way for you to smush together all your cloud-based file storage accounts to form one big cloud drive in the sky.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

"Group hug!" one shouted, and they all smushed together, screaming.

The New York Times

Sing-along catchy, with hand claps and crunchy guitars, "Alex Chilton" sounds like all of Chilton's sounds smushed together.

The New Yorker

Dimri says the two opposing systems of moisture-laden air "smushed together," into a Frankenstorm that stayed pinned for two days to the southern flank of the Himalayas.

Yale University

Collectors and artists including Eli Broad, Jeff Koons and Kiki Smith were smushed together at long picnic tables, trying to guess who was behind this conceptual take on white-trash barbecue.

The New York Times

As recently as a few days ago, Mr. Kennedy was still digging into big bowls of mocha chip and butter crunch ice creams, all smushed together (as he liked it).

The New York Times

They find it at best peculiar, and at worst revolting, to be expected to sit down to a groaning board of Thanksgiving dishes and, more to the point, to eat them smushed together into one big glorious taste — preferably under enough gravy to insure that no food, as it were, sits alone.

The New Yorker

He jabbed his finger at me as he raised his voice and ranted about how "all you scientists are sitting on a 100% effective cure for cancer" ("a bunch of vitamins smushed together with proteins" were his exact words), watching millions of people die as we counted the royalty money from the "useless poisons" we were forcing people to take.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "smush together" when you want to emphasize the act of combining items with a degree of force or pressure, resulting in a somewhat less refined or uniform mixture.

Common error

Avoid using "smush together" in formal or professional writing where a more precise or sophisticated term like "merge", "consolidate", or "integrate" would be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "smush together" functions primarily as a phrasal verb, indicating the action of combining two or more things, often with some force or pressure. It's used to describe both physical and metaphorical combinations, as shown in Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Academia

34%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "smush together" is a grammatically sound phrasal verb that implies combining elements, often with some force, resulting in a possibly unrefined mixture. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's perfectly usable in written English. While not overly common, it appears in various sources including News & Media, Science, and Academia. While appropriate in general contexts, avoid it in formal academic or professional settings where "integrate" or "consolidate" might serve better. The phrase’s informal register makes it well-suited for descriptive and narrative contexts where a touch of casual language is acceptable.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

compress together

Emphasizes the act of pressing things into a smaller space while joining them.

mash together

Suggests combining by crushing or pounding.

squash together

Implies flattening while combining.

fuse together

Highlights a more permanent and unified combination.

merge together

Focuses on the blending of separate entities into one.

blend together

Indicates a smooth mixing of components.

unite together

Emphasizes the joining of items for a common purpose or goal.

press together

Highlights the use of pressure to combine.

compact together

Implies reducing the volume by pressing items together.

consolidate together

Suggests strengthening by combining elements.

FAQs

How can I use "smush together" in a sentence?

You can use "smush together" to describe physically combining things, like "I "smushed together" the clay to form a ball", or metaphorically, like "The band "smushes together" different musical styles".

What does "smush together" imply about the combination?

"Smush together" suggests a combination that may involve some force or pressure, and the resulting mixture might not be perfectly smooth or uniform. It's less refined than blending or integrating.

What are some alternatives to "smush together"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "compress together", "mash together", or "fuse together". The best choice depends on the nuance you want to convey.

Is "smush together" appropriate for academic writing?

While grammatically correct, "smush together" is generally too informal for most academic writing. Opt for more formal terms like "integrate", "synthesize", or "consolidate" instead.