pinch

1 of 3

verb

ˈpinch 

pinched; pinching; pinches

transitive verb

1

a

: to squeeze between the finger and thumb or between the jaws of an instrument

b

: to prune the tip of (a plant or shoot) usually to induce branching

c

: to squeeze or compress painfully

d

: to cause physical or mental pain to

e(1)

: to cause to appear thin, haggard, or shrunken

(2)

: to cause to shrivel or wither

2

a

: to subject to strict economy or want : straiten

b

: to restrain or limit narrowly : constrict

3

a

: steal

b

: arrest

4

: to sail too close to the wind

intransitive verb

1

: compress, squeeze

2

: to be miserly or closefisted

3

: to press painfully

4

: narrow, taper

the road pinched down to a trail

—Cecelia Holland

pinch

2 of 3

noun

1

a

: a critical juncture : emergency

b(1)

: pressure, stress

(2)

: hardship, privation

c

: deficit

2

a

: an act of pinching : squeeze

b

: as much as may be taken between the finger and thumb

a pinch of snuff

c

: a very small amount

3

: a marked thinning of a vein or bed

4

a

: theft

b

: a police raid

also : arrest

pinch

3 of 3

adjective

1

: substitute

pinch runner

2

: hit by a pinch hitter

a pinch homer

Phrases

pinch pennies

: to practice strict economy

Synonyms

Verb

• nip

Noun

• grab
• heist
• rip-off
• snatching
• swiping
• theft

Choose the Right Synonym for pinch

juncture, exigency, emergency, contingency, pinch, strait (or straits) crisis mean a critical or crucial time or state of affairs.

juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events.

an important juncture in our country's history

exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation.

provide for exigencies

emergency applies to a sudden unforeseen situation requiring prompt action to avoid disaster.

the presence of mind needed to deal with emergencies

contingency implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence.

contingency plans

pinch implies urgency or pressure for action to a less intense degree than exigency or emergency.

come through in a pinch

strait, now commonly straits, applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult.

in dire straits

crisis applies to a juncture whose outcome will make a decisive difference.

a crisis of confidence

Examples of pinch in a Sentence

Verb

My little brother is always trying to pinch me.

He pinched her cheeks and told her how cute she was.

Pinch together the edges of the dough.

He pinched the top of his nose to stop the bleeding and leaned forward.

He pinched off the top of the shoots.

She pinched back the new growth.

These new shoes are pinching my toes.

I pinched my fingers in the door.

By pinching and scraping, she managed to save enough money to buy a new car.

Noun

the pinch of my favorite sweater really bugged me!

an innocent person caught up in a city-wide pinch of drug dealers

Adjective

A pinch homer won the game.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Hollywood studios’ recent agreements to pay writers and actors more are likely to further pinch profits. —John Carreyrou, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023

Price at time of publish: $139 The 14 Best Fleece Jackets of 2023 Best Ski Socks Smartwool Ski Targeted Cushion Over-the-calf Socks View On Amazon View On REI View On Zappos A pair of high-quality socks that don’t bunch up and pinch your shins are crucial for a comfortable skiing experience. —Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 21 Nov. 2023

Add butter cubes, and pinch together using your fingers (or cut into flour using a pastry cutter) until mixture starts to form rough, sandy crumbs and starts to press together. —Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2023

With Herbert’s bigger salaries likely to pinch the roster starting in 2025, will the Spanoses rethink their refusal to get outside of their comfort zone when hiring coaches? —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Nov. 2023

Yet Gutiérrez, 45, who grew up in an immigrant Lincoln Heights family, has to pinch herself frequently in order to believe that her accolades are real. —Soudi Jiménez, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023

Van der Mersch has a herring pinched in his right hand and a bundle of straw in the other. —Zachary Fine, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023

The Misi and Lilia veteran’s videos and photos posted to her online presence, Pasta Social Club, depict delicate handmade doughs that laminate fresh herbs, pinch daintily along their edges, and ooze bright orange yolks over ricotta when punctured. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2023

Press flat, pinch the middle, and wrap the middle with the remaining piece of felt. —Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Nov. 2023

Noun

Simply place leaves in a 3×3 wood or wire bin (a garbage bag can also work in a pinch–just make sure to punch a few holes for air flow) and fully dampen the pile. —Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 16 Nov. 2023

Southern cornbread is also rarely, if ever, sweetened, though some Southerners do enjoy a pinch of sugar in the batter. —Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 12 Nov. 2023

No one thinks anything will happen to them — a bite will be like a little pinch. —Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2023

Spending pullback Nokia, one of the largest telecommunications equipment companies, is facing the pinch of macroeconomic volatility and higher interest rates as mobile operators pull back from spending. —Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2023

Always add a pinch of salt to enhance the overall flavors. —Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2023

First, reheat the beans with a glug of olive oil, one bay leaf, a pinch of cumin and, if desired, some red chile flakes. —Mahira Rivers, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2023

Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl, then add 1 tablespoon of the milk, the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon of vanilla, and a pinch of salt. —Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Oct. 2023

Shape into a ring (about 7 inches in diameter), and pinch ends together to seal. —Cassandra King, Southern Living, 16 Oct. 2023

Adjective

Pinch runner Tony Kemp was then stranded at third, emblematic of Oakland’s offensive frustrations, as Ramón Laureano struck out, Canha walked, Olson popped up and pinch-hitter Robbie Grossman struck out against Casey Sadler. —Susan Slusser, SFChronicle.com, 26 Sep. 2020

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Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French *pincher, pincer

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pinch

• at a pinch
• in a pinch
• feel the pinch
• pinch bar
• pinch hit
• pinch of salt
• take (something) with a grain/pinch of salt
• pinch me
• pinch hitter
• pinch pennies

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• at a pinch
• in a pinch
• feel the pinch
• pinch bar
• pinch hit
• pinch of salt
• take (something) with a grain/pinch of salt
• pinch me
• pinch hitter
• pinch pennies

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Kids Definition

pinch

1 of 2 verb

ˈpinch 

1

a

: to squeeze between the finger and thumb or between the jaws of an instrument

b

: to nip off (a bud) to control flowering or prune the tip of (a young shoot) to cause branching

c

: to squeeze painfully

2

: to cause to appear thin, haggard, or shrunken

a face pinched with cold

3

a

: to be thrifty or stingy

b

: to restrain or limit narrowly

4

a

: steal entry 1 sense 2a

b

: arrest entry 1 sense 2

5

a

: narrow entry 3, taper

b

: to sharply reduce the length or quantity of

pinch

2 of 2 noun

1

a

: a critical time or point : emergency

help out in a pinch

b

: painful pressure or stress

the pinch of hunger

2

a

: an act of pinching

b

: as much as may be taken between the finger and thumb

a pinch of salt

c

: a small amount

3

a

: theft

b

: a police raid

also : arrest entry 2 sense 2

Medical Definition

pinch

transitive verb

ˈpinch 

: to squeeze or compress (a part of the body) usually in a painful or discomforting way

a pinched nerve caused by entrapment