pinch

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

see also:

pinch pennies

Synonyms of pinch

• hold
• nip
• grip
• clutch
• grasp
• clasp

Examples of pinch in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Inflation continues to pinch at consumers this spring. —Cj Haddad, CNBC, 29 May 2026

Mason Fluharty took over and faced three batters, but left after allowing a one-out single to pinch-hitter Heriberto Hernandez. —Miami Herald, 28 May 2026

Annuals to pinch back include amaranthus, branching sunflowers, cosmos, dahlias, snapdragons, zinnias, marigolds, impatiens, salvia, coleus, verbena, and petunias. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 28 May 2026

While that gain outpaced the rate of inflation in 2025, many workers were still feeling pinched by the accumulation of higher prices over the past few years and had to cut corners to make ends meet and run up credit card debt to pay for everyday necessities. —Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French *pincher, pincer

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing pinch

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

Rhymes for pinch

• cinch
• finch
• flinch
• inch
• lynch
• synch
• winch
• bullfinch
• goldfinch

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