pinched for
idiom
chiefly US, informal
: not having enough of (something)
Students are especially pinched for time at the end of the school year.
I'm pinched for cash right now.
Examples of pinched for in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As far as the actual software is concerned, the system feels a little old but has mode buttons on the bottom for common features and the navigation map can now be pinched for zooming in.
—
Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024
Budgets are pinched for every penny, and successes are hard-earned.
—Dana O'Neil, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024
Some plants will even produce a few blooms in the spring before being pinched for fall flowers.
—Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2023
Villain Yelena may be pinched for a Thunderbolts show or movie.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 30 June 2022
The situation at Silicon Valley Bank may have been worsened by more startups feeling pinched for cash and needing to withdraw funds.
—Catherine Thorbecke, CNN, 10 Mar. 2023
One standard latte can pack around nearly 10 grams protein, which is a great solution when you’re pinched for time but don’t want to skip out on the first meal of the day.
—Stefani Sassos, M.s., R.d.n., C.s.o., Good Housekeeping, 5 Oct. 2022
Some plants will even produce a few blooms in the spring before being pinched for fall flowers.
—Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2022
Industries from food service to software development have been pinched for workers as the pandemic ends and the economy revives.
—Julie Bykowicz, WSJ, 20 June 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024
Budgets are pinched for every penny, and successes are hard-earned.
—Dana O'Neil, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024
Some plants will even produce a few blooms in the spring before being pinched for fall flowers.
—Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2023
Villain Yelena may be pinched for a Thunderbolts show or movie.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 30 June 2022
The situation at Silicon Valley Bank may have been worsened by more startups feeling pinched for cash and needing to withdraw funds.
—Catherine Thorbecke, CNN, 10 Mar. 2023
One standard latte can pack around nearly 10 grams protein, which is a great solution when you’re pinched for time but don’t want to skip out on the first meal of the day.
—Stefani Sassos, M.s., R.d.n., C.s.o., Good Housekeeping, 5 Oct. 2022
Some plants will even produce a few blooms in the spring before being pinched for fall flowers.
—Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2022
Industries from food service to software development have been pinched for workers as the pandemic ends and the economy revives.
—Julie Bykowicz, WSJ, 20 June 2022
Cite this Entry
“Pinched for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinched%20for. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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