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

The downside The Jetta’s good fuel economy comes in part at the cost of noticeable engine vibration, as the transmission holds higher gears at low rpm to squeeze maximum distance from every gallon of gasoline. — Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, "Review: 2019 Jetta is Volkswagen’s best compact sedan," 12 July 2018 Then, during the twisting portion, make sure that your thighs stay squeezed together and that your knees point out straight so that the twist comes from your obliques, not your hips, says Mansour. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "Work Your Entire Core With This Stability Ball Exercise From Celebrity Trainer Astrid Swan," 10 Apr. 2019 Stir in 1 cup cream until just incorporated, no dry crumbs remain at bottom of bowl, and dough holds together when squeezed. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Ham and Cheese Scones," 7 Mar. 2019 Mix together freshly squeezed lemon juice with a few teaspoons of baking soda until the powder becomes a paste — the lemon juice is an ultra-mild lightener and the baking soda is a natural exfoliant. — Seventeen.com Editors, Seventeen, "50 Life-Changing Prom Beauty Tips You Haven't Heard Before," 19 Dec. 2018 Take the pan off the heat, cool and remove the muslin, squeezing the liquid form from the bag. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "What Will Meghan Markle Give the Queen This Christmas?," 13 Dec. 2018 At least 25,000 squeezed New Yorkers and highly skilled tech workers would have been waiting for Amazon’s call. — Lisa Selin Davis, Curbed, "Amazon’s New York City move is bad for the city—and for Amazon’s employees," 20 Nov. 2018 With single-day tickets to Disney World now starting at $109, squeezing the most out of a vacation to the Happiest Place on Earth is more important than ever. — Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Condé Nast Traveler, "How to Get on Any Disney World Ride in 30 Minutes or Less," 8 Nov. 2018 The room was packed, and women had to squeeze past round tables set close together to get to the brunch buffet. — Samantha Melamed, Philly.com, "After 26 years working with at-risk teens, can a Philly couple forgive the one who killed their son?," 13 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Ahmet [Ertegun, a cofounder of Atlantic Records, a longtime squeeze] couldn’t get enough of Tana’s. — Lili Anolik, Harper's BAZAAR, "How Eve Babitz Is Becoming an Unlikely Icon for Millennial Women," 24 Jan. 2019 Photo: china stringer network/Reuters The logical consequence is a squeeze on gas-utility margins. — Nathaniel Taplin, WSJ, "Beijing’s Long Arm Squeezes the Gas Sector," 4 Oct. 2018 Airplane seats in the back of the plane can be a real squeeze, particularly on domestic airlines like United, American, and Delta, whose economy seats are often around two inches tighter than, say, 44A on JetBlue, Alaska, or Southwest. — Katherine Lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, "Airline CEOs Sitting in Economy Say Your Airplane Seat Won't Get Smaller," 25 July 2018 European grocery chains aren’t the only ones feeling the squeeze. — Hallie Detrick, Fortune, "Why 2 of the World's Biggest Supermarkets Are Joining Together to Buy Groceries," 2 July 2018 As smartphones dedicate more and more of the front of the device to screen pixels, the normal front-of-phone components like the camera, earpiece, and brightness sensors are starting to feel the squeeze. — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, "The Oppo Find X kills the smartphone notch with a motorized pop-up camera," 20 June 2018 The Prius Prime’s front-seat area is roomy and its liftback cargo capacity is large at nearly 20 cubic feet; however, the back-seat legroom is a squeeze at 33.4 inches, although its shoulder and hip room nearly equal front-seat space. — Mark Maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "2018 Toyota Prius Prime: Nothing fancy, just 640 miles on a tank," 8 June 2018 But the casinos and hotels aren't the only ones who would feel the squeeze; local and state governments stand to lose millions from the impact on tourism. — NBC News, "Las Vegas strike could have far-reaching effect on larger economy," 24 May 2018 But the casinos and hotels aren't the only ones who would feel the squeeze; local and state governments stand to lose millions from the impact on tourism. — Regina Garcia Cano, chicagotribune.com, "Las Vegas strike would have far-reaching effect," 23 May 2018

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.