squeeze off

verb

squeezed off; squeezing off; squeezes off

transitive verb

: to fire (a round) by squeezing the trigger

intransitive verb

: to fire a weapon by squeezing the trigger

Examples of squeeze off in a Sentence

the hunter waited for the deer to start feeding, then squeezed off several rounds
Recent Examples on the Web Homeowner's surveillance camera The homeowner whipped out his weapon and squeezed off at least a half-dozen rounds at the retreating attackers, video showed. Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2023 Bourque helping to shoot down ALS Over the course of his Hall of Fame career, Ray Bourque squeezed off 6,209 shots on net, a league record surpassed last season when Capitals cannon Alexander Ovechkin fired 294 times, boosting his total to 6,355. Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Sep. 2023 The third and decisive set went by fast, and Gauff sealed it when Sabalenka came to the net down 2 games to 5, with her forehand volley ready, but with Gauff's squeezing off a passing shot that screamed past and landed in. Dennis Romero, NBC News, 9 Sep. 2023 Hess squeezed off 12 rounds, shattering the front passenger window. Dallas Morning News, 6 July 2023 Three of the eight officers who opened fire squeezed off 18 rounds, while the others unleashed 16, 11, six, four and three, respectively, prosecutors said. Phil Helsel, NBC News, 17 Apr. 2023 The attacker tried to squeeze off another round, but the Smith & Wesson jammed. Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2019 The deadliest example occurred in Las Vegas two years ago when a gunman possessed a dozen 100-round magazines that helped him squeeze off 10 rounds per second onto a crowd of concert-goers from his hotel room, killing 58 people. Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2019 David Pastrnak squeezed off a game-high 10 shots, five of which made it to the net. BostonGlobe.com, 4 Nov. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'squeeze off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1949, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of squeeze off was circa 1949

Dictionary Entries Near squeeze off

Cite this Entry

“Squeeze off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squeeze%20off. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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