pinch

1 of 3

verb

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
2
: to be miserly or closefisted
3
: to press painfully
4
: narrow, taper
the road pinched down to a trailCecelia Holland

pinch

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: a critical juncture : emergency
c
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
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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
To easily remove the leaves from the stems, simply pinch the top of the sprig and slide your fingers down it to release the leaves. Amanda Stanfield, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2023 Across the board, rates dropped in consecutive years from 2020 through 2023 in streaming, linear TV and series-TV overall, with particularly dramatic declines over the last year while the Hollywood WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes pinched the content-TV pipeline. Joe Otterson, Variety, 14 Sep. 2023 As important, the discovery brought the beginning of time into the lab, where it could be pinched, squeezed and dissected. Dennis Overbye Hiroko Masuike, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2023 Slightly thicker arms give a secure fit and durable feel that doesn’t pinch temples or slide down your nose. Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 31 Aug. 2023 At Coperni, things got cheeky with the aforementioned hand brooch that gave the illusion of pinching the model’s nipple. Tara Gonzalez, Harper's BAZAAR, 24 Aug. 2023 The hi-po ZDX also has upgraded brakes with larger 15.6-inch front rotors pinched by Brembo six-piston calipers. Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 17 Aug. 2023 These features ensure that the panties won't pinch or dig, providing all-day comfort and support. Courtney Leiva, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2023 If the plant becomes leggy, simply pinch back the stems to keep the plant compact. Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Sep. 2023
Noun
Crow-Armstrong wasn’t in the starting lineup Monday but made his major-league debut in the seventh as a pinch runner following Mike Tauchman’s leadoff single. Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023 Ultimate Apple Pie: Alongside other classic baking spices, a pinch of cardamom helps conjure that classic sweet and spicy apple pie flavor. Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2023 Make it: Drizzle 1/2 cup shelled edamame with a teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Women's Health, 28 Aug. 2023 Barnes, who added a pinch of offense to go with his solid game-calling and receiving abilities. Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2023 The slowdown in lending has put a pinch on some real estate owners, who must obtain new financing when existing loans expire or when purchasing new properties. Steve Brown, Dallas News, 17 Aug. 2023 Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, and then mix the tomato-peach juice with the juice of 1 lemon and a pinch of salt. Antara Sinha, Bon Appétit, 7 Aug. 2023 Swap out sherry vinegar Try red wine vinegar with a pinch of sugar, since sherry vinegar has a sweeter flavor profile. Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 18 Aug. 2023 Start with a pinch and add more as needed, but stop before your drink starts tasting outright salty. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 17 Aug. 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 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pinch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of pinch was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pinch

Cite this Entry

“Pinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinch. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

pinch

1 of 2 verb
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
5
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

Medical Definition

pinch

transitive verb
: to squeeze or compress (a part of the body) usually in a painful or discomforting way
a pinched nerve caused by entrapment

More from Merriam-Webster on pinch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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