squeeze

verb

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\ ˈskwēz

squeezed; squeezing

Definition of squeeze

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to exert pressure especially on opposite sides of : compress

b : to extract or emit under pressure

c : to force or thrust by compression

2a(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

intransitive verb

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

squeeze

noun

Definition of squeeze (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : an act or instance of squeezing : compression

b : handclasp also : embrace

2a : a quantity squeezed out from something a squeeze of lemon

b : a group crowded together : crowd

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 : squeeze play

7 slang : a romantic partner she's my main squeeze

Other Words from squeeze Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about squeeze

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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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb To a pint glass or a large mason jar filled with ice, add the bourbon, squeeze and drop in the lemon wedges and add 1 teaspoon of the seasoning mix and Worcestershire sauce. — Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, "More than a mint julep. You'll definitely want to try these at-home Kentucky Derby recipes," 12 Aug. 2020 In that way, the order could end up benefiting a company that Trump has sought to squeeze out for years. — Fortune, "Trump’s WeChat ban could hurt iPhone sales in China," 7 Aug. 2020 The bill is meant to prevent such distortions that squeeze ranchers. — Tom Polansek And P.j. Huffstutter Reuters, Star Tribune, "GOP senators clash on proposal to force open-market beef deals," 6 Aug. 2020 The hope appears to be, just like with other companies who squeeze employees with explicit and implicit pressure, that whatever carriers remain after the changes are implemented can be forcefully coerced into doing more work in those 8 hours. — Casey Taylor, The New Republic, "Death by a Thousand Cuts for One of America’s Last Great Institutions," 6 Aug. 2020 Set the legs upright and squeeze silicone caulk onto the shoulders [9]. — David Agrell And Eric Weil, Popular Mechanics, "Stone Cold Beautiful: How To Build a Concrete Bench," 25 July 2020 Finely grate zest from lemons and squeeze 1/2 cup juice. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Icy Watermelon Granita," 29 June 2020 Pour the reduced dye mix through a sieve or strainer into a bowl, pressing the materials to squeeze out any access. — Sara Rodrigues, House Beautiful, "How to Make Natural Dyes for Summer Tie-Dying," 23 June 2020 Lift the garment with both hands and gently squeeze out as much water as possible. — Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, "The Most Effective Way to Hand-Wash Clothes in Your Sink, Delicates or Otherwise," 2 June 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Because hypoallergenic gentle skin cleansers tend to have milky consistencies, they're usually packaged in squeeze or pump bottles. — Sian Babish, chicagotribune.com, "The best hypoallergenic skin cleanser," 12 Aug. 2020 The surge in mortgage delinquency is proof that the COVID-19 pandemic is putting the squeeze on homeowners’ finances. — Steve Brown, Dallas News, "D-FW late home mortgage payment rate soars," 11 Aug. 2020 High rents and a squeeze on consumer spending have left restaurants more vulnerable than ever. — Frank Trentmann, The New Republic, "The Unequal Future of Consumption," 10 Aug. 2020 Many of those that didn’t fold had to sacrifice some of the energy and character that had defined them in order to operate safely, and felt the financial squeeze of additional sanitary and social distancing requirements. — Melinda Joe, Condé Nast Traveler, "How Four Chefs Opened New Restaurants Amid the Pandemic," 4 Aug. 2020 Use a thin bead of glue to minimize squeeze-out and keep everything neat. Send the screws home. — Mark Clement, Popular Mechanics, "Build This Simple Log Rack To Hone Your Woodworking Skills," 11 July 2020 Try this simple test: Grab a handful of soil and squeeze. — Arricca Elin Sansone, House Beautiful, "Here's How to Keep Your Vegetable Garden Alive," 17 June 2020 Make sure that the juice is worth the squeeze, and take extra time to make decisions during this transit. — Venus Australis, refinery29.com, "Your Horoscope This Week," 2 Aug. 2020 More from Canzano: Pac-12 presidents put the squeeze on the Pac-12 office. — oregonlive, "College football season is on the endangered list; so are athletic programs as we know them: Issues & Answers," 9 July 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'squeeze.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.