squeezed; squeezing
1
a
: to exert pressure especially on opposite sides of : compress
b
: to extract or emit under pressure
c
: to force or thrust by compression
2
a(1)
: to get by extortion
(2)
: to deprive by extortion
b
: to cause economic hardship to
c
: to reduce the amount of
squeezes profits
3
: to crowd into a limited area
4
: to gain or win by a narrow margin
5
: to force (another player) to discard in bridge so as to unguard a suit
6
: to score by means of a squeeze play
1
: to give way before pressure
2
: to exert pressure
also
: to practice extortion or oppression
3
: to force one's way
squeeze through a door
4
: to pass, win, or get by narrowly
1
a
: an act or instance of squeezing : compression
2
3
: a profit taken by a middleman on goods or transactions
4
: a financial pressure caused by narrowing margins or by shortages
5
: a forced discard in bridge
6
7
slang
: a romantic partner
she's my main squeeze
Synonyms
Examples of squeeze in a Sentence
Verb
He lightly squeezed her hand and smiled.
Gently squeeze the fruit to see if it's ripe.
Hold it securely but don't squeeze too hard.
He squeezed the juice from the orange.
Noun
Fifty guests will be a bit of a squeeze.
It'll be a tight squeeze, but we can all fit.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Mohamad El Chamaa, Washington Post, 23 Nov. 2023
That could be potentially devastating for Gaza's uprooted population, most of which is squeezed into the south with nowhere to go to avoid the assault.
—Josef Federman, arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2023
Here, instead, she’s swayed by a dead Diana softly squeezing her hand and kindly hinting — the dead Diana is an ace at tactful circumlocution — that now is the time to show a mourning nation some emotion.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 16 Nov. 2023
Consumers are feeling squeezed and are gravitating to places that sell necessities at a good price.
—Jinjoo Lee, WSJ, 16 Nov. 2023
Without that ability, scientists wondered how hummingbirds squeeze through such tiny gaps—but the speedy fliers move too quickly for the human eye to follow.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Nov. 2023
Many lived in mobile homes, squeezing as many as 20 people into one trailer.
—Amy Qin Callaghan O’Hare, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023
No doubt, Israel’s military operation is squeezing the Hamas leadership, which has been hiding out in a maze of underground tunnels since the war began.
—Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2023
This allows a baby to squeeze through tight spaces, both before birth and during delivery.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 3 Nov. 2023
Geoffrey Morrison, wsj.com, 2 Nov. 2023
The 2021 GameStop short squeeze is just the latest event to inspire a movie, Dumb Money, which hits theaters everywhere this week.
—Lillian Brown, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2023
Local businesses including talent agencies, production companies and prop houses have felt the financial squeeze.
—Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2023
At the same time, film workers have been facing a squeeze on their own budgets from stubbornly high inflation.
—Eshe Nelson, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2023
The makers of the vaccines couldn’t keep up, and there was a major squeeze, meaning many low-income countries had to go without.
—Grace Browne, WIRED, 20 Oct. 2023
In 1981, Thatcher made a dash for confidence and growth via a fiscal squeeze.
—Emilio Ocampo, National Review, 18 Oct. 2023
But according to new research, the economic backdrop in which young people are entering the workforce could have a much deeper impact on Gen Z than a squeeze on their lifestyles.
—Chloe Taylor, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2023
When faced with a cash squeeze two years ago, Evergrande turned to its own employees, strong-arming many into lending it money through its wealth management unit.
—Alexandra Stevenson, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2023
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Verb
In one video, ketchup turns to blood as a man squeezes it on his McDonald’s fries.
—Mohamad El Chamaa, Washington Post, 23 Nov. 2023
That could be potentially devastating for Gaza's uprooted population, most of which is squeezed into the south with nowhere to go to avoid the assault.
—Josef Federman, arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2023
Here, instead, she’s swayed by a dead Diana softly squeezing her hand and kindly hinting — the dead Diana is an ace at tactful circumlocution — that now is the time to show a mourning nation some emotion.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 16 Nov. 2023
Consumers are feeling squeezed and are gravitating to places that sell necessities at a good price.
—Jinjoo Lee, WSJ, 16 Nov. 2023
Without that ability, scientists wondered how hummingbirds squeeze through such tiny gaps—but the speedy fliers move too quickly for the human eye to follow.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Nov. 2023
Many lived in mobile homes, squeezing as many as 20 people into one trailer.
—Amy Qin Callaghan O’Hare, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023
No doubt, Israel’s military operation is squeezing the Hamas leadership, which has been hiding out in a maze of underground tunnels since the war began.
—Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2023
This allows a baby to squeeze through tight spaces, both before birth and during delivery.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 3 Nov. 2023
Noun
The earcups are cushy and the adjustable headband prevented the head squeeze caused by some of the competition.
—Geoffrey Morrison, wsj.com, 2 Nov. 2023
The 2021 GameStop short squeeze is just the latest event to inspire a movie, Dumb Money, which hits theaters everywhere this week.
—Lillian Brown, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2023
Local businesses including talent agencies, production companies and prop houses have felt the financial squeeze.
—Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2023
At the same time, film workers have been facing a squeeze on their own budgets from stubbornly high inflation.
—Eshe Nelson, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2023
The makers of the vaccines couldn’t keep up, and there was a major squeeze, meaning many low-income countries had to go without.
—Grace Browne, WIRED, 20 Oct. 2023
In 1981, Thatcher made a dash for confidence and growth via a fiscal squeeze.
—Emilio Ocampo, National Review, 18 Oct. 2023
But according to new research, the economic backdrop in which young people are entering the workforce could have a much deeper impact on Gen Z than a squeeze on their lifestyles.
—Chloe Taylor, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2023
When faced with a cash squeeze two years ago, Evergrande turned to its own employees, strong-arming many into lending it money through its wealth management unit.
—Alexandra Stevenson, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'squeeze.' 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
alteration of obsolete English quease, from Middle English queysen, from Old English cwȳsan; akin to Icelandic kveisa stomach cramps
First Known Use
Verb
circa 1601, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Noun
1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing squeeze
Dictionary Entries Near squeeze
Cite this Entry
“Squeeze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squeeze. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
squeeze
1 of 2 verb
squeezed; squeezing
1
2
a
: to force (as by threats) money, goods, or services from
squeezed their tenants mercilessly
b
: to reduce the amount of
rising costs squeezed profits
3
: to gain or win by a narrow margin
squeezer
noun
squeeze
2 of 2 noun1
: an act or instance of squeezing
2
: financial pressure
put the squeeze on someone
3
slang
: a romantic partner
she's my main squeeze
More from Merriam-Webster on squeeze
Nglish: Translation of squeeze for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of squeeze for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
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