squeeze

verb

\ 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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Other Words from squeeze

Verb

squeezability \ ˌskwē-zə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

squeezable \ ˈskwē-zə-bəl

\ adjective

squeezer noun

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

Stacking chips lets Intel squeeze out more performance without increasing the overall die space—a boon for thin-and-light laptops. — Brad Chacos, PCWorld, "6 important CES 2019 reveals and trends that PC enthusiasts need to know about," 11 Jan. 2019 Still, in many cases in this election, the more liberal and conservative candidates won spots on the November ballot, just like before, while moderates were squeezed out. — Michael Smolens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Like the 'top-two' primary? How about a 'top-four'?," 13 June 2018 Cut the tube tip at an angle and squeeze a uniform bead of caulk into the joint. — Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, "Your Quick and Dirty Guide to Tiling a Kitchen Backsplash," 26 Apr. 2019 They are made up of huge amounts of matter squeezed into a spall space, which creates a gravitational field so powerful that the black hole pulls everything around it inside, including light. — Vogue, "Is the Black Hole a Glazed Donut? And Other Deep Thoughts About the Universe," 10 Apr. 2019 Remove from heat, squeeze the roasted orange wedges into the pan, add the Dijon mustard and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and whisk to combine. — Woman's Day, "Roasted Citrus Chicken Salad," 15 Feb. 2019 Editors and industry insiders squeezed into the lower level of Marc Jacobs' Madison Avenue store, a space Jacobs had offered for the show. — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "This New Japanese Designer Just Put the Magic Back in New York Fashion Week," 9 Feb. 2019 The good news is that there actually are plenty of ways to squeeze a solid no-equipment workout into a short amount of time. — SELF, "A 15-Minute No-Equipment Core Workout You Can Do at Home," 18 Jan. 2019 Mix two teaspoons of baking soda with one teaspoon of water, and squeeze in a little lemon juice. — Glamour, "8 Genius Tips That’ll Give You Clearer Skin for Free," 26 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Second only to a mere squeeze of fresh lemon, a trickle of extra virgin olive oil may be the simplest sauce. — Bill St. John, The Denver Post, "The art of finishing sauces for fish," 5 June 2019 Just add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice to perk them up. — Melissa Clark, New York Times, "The Perfect Pie for Less-Than-Perfect Berries," 29 June 2018 The middle-class wage squeeze is affecting an unlikely group: Hollywood movie and television writers, who are threatening to fire their agents en masse over what their union calls unfair business practices. — Joe Flint, WSJ, "Labor Action, With a Hollywood Twist: Screenwriters Threaten to Fire Their Agents," 29 Mar. 2019 The time squeeze didn't hamper their quest in the end, and The New York Times hailed their accomplishments in a report that featured quotes from a few Navy officials denying the mission's true intent. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "The Hunt for the Titanic Was Actually a Hunt for Lost U.S. Nuclear Submarines," 17 Dec. 2018 In fact, the Spanish authorities have been flouting their own migration protocols because of the squeeze on their staff and infrastructure. — Raphael Minder, New York Times, "Spain’s Migrant Wave Grows, Even as Europe’s Subsides," 30 June 2018 Ironically, even as Trump is threatening China, one of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue's principal responses to the squeeze has been to pledge to increase American agricultural exports. — Ronald Brownstein, CNN, "Trade war threatens the GOP's firewall in 2018," 10 Apr. 2018 Cut tangerines in half and squeeze juice by hand (to preserve the shape of the peels) to make about 2/3 cup; discard seeds. — Elaine Johnson, Sunset, "Sticky Tangerine and Basil Chicken," 22 Jan. 2018 Finely grate zest of remaining lemon into a food processor and squeeze in 3 Tbsp juice. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Salmon with Creamy Feta Cucumbers," 29 Apr. 2019

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.