squeeze

1 of 2

verb

squeezed; squeezing

transitive verb

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

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
squeezability noun
squeezable adjective
squeezer noun

squeeze

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: an act or instance of squeezing : compression
b
: handclasp
also : embrace
2
a
: 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
7
slang : a romantic partner
she's my main squeeze

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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
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 See More

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of squeeze was circa 1601

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.

Kids Definition

squeeze

1 of 2 verb
squeezed; squeezing
1
a
: to press together from the opposite sides of : compress
squeeze wet clay into a ball
b
: to get by squeezing
squeeze juice from a lemon
c
: to force or thrust by compression : crowd
squeezed into the car
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 noun
1
: 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

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