squeeze

verb

ˈskwēz 

squeezed; squeezing

transitive verb

1

a

: to exert pressure especially on opposite sides of : compress

squeezed my arm

b

: to extract or emit under pressure

squeeze juice from an orange

c

: to force or thrust by compression

squeezed his hand into the hole

2

a(1)

: to get by extortion

… here they were, come to squeeze his land from him in his extremity.

—Pearl S. Buck

(2)

: to deprive by extortion

trying to squeeze me for more money

b

: to cause economic hardship to

farmers squeezed by higher seed prices

c

: to reduce the amount of

squeezes profits

3

: to crowd into a limited area

can squeeze another car into the lot

4

: to barely succeed at getting or doing (something)

The police squeezed a confession from her.

—often used with out

The team squeezed out a victory.

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

cushions squeezing as he sat down

2

: to exert pressure

remove the lid and squeeze

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

ˌskwē-zə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

squeezable

ˈskwē-zə-bəl 

adjective

squeezer noun

see also:

squeeze in squeeze out

Synonyms of squeeze

• crush
• press
• express
• extract
• mash

Examples of squeeze in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Looking to squeeze a dinner reservation into an itinerary that includes rock wall climbing, a movie screening, a trip into town, a craft hour, and a history talk? —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026

Steyer stepped up his fight in the remaining days, seeking to squeeze into one of the top two spots by battering Becerra in ads and at campaign rallies as a politician propped up by corporate special interests. —Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026

While councilmembers and the community showed broad support for the transient occupancy tax earlier this year, critics say the increase will squeeze hotel owners and make San Jose less competitive for the tech conferences and business travelers that drive the local economy. —Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 3 June 2026

After Sabalenka managed to squeeze a forehand over the net, Shnaider got to the ball and left her opponent completely flat-footed on the service line. —Mark Harris, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of obsolete English quease, from Middle English queysen, from Old English cwȳsan; akin to Icelandic kveisa stomach cramps

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing squeeze

• feeling the squeeze
• main squeeze
• putting the squeeze on
• squeeze bottle
• squeeze in
• squeeze off
• squeeze one's eyes shut
• squeeze out
• squeeze play
• squeeze up
• suicide squeeze
• the squeeze
• tight squeeze

Rhymes for squeeze

• agrees
• appease
• bougies
• burmese
• chemise
• chickpeas
• chinese
• cowpeas
• curies
• decrees
• degrees
• disease

Kids Definition

squeeze

1 of 2 verb

ˈskwēz 

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