pinches; pinched; pinching
1
a
: to squeeze (someone's skin) between your thumb and finger often in a painful way
My little brother is always trying to pinch me.
He pinched her cheeks and told her how cute she was.
—often used figurativelyIt was all so beautiful I had to pinch myself [=I had to remind myself that it was real] to be sure I wasn't dreaming.
Pinch me. [=I can't believe this is happening]
b
: to squeeze or press (something) together with your thumb and finger
Pinch together the edges of the dough.
He pinched the top of his nose to stop the bleeding and leaned forward.
c
: to remove (part of a plant) by squeezing with your thumb and finger
He pinched off/out the top of the shoots.
She pinched back the new growth.
2
: to press against or squeeze (a part of the body) in a painful way
These new shoes are pinching my toes.
I pinched my fingers in the door.
He had a pinched nerve [=a nerve pressed against a bone in the neck in a painful way] in his neck.
These shoes pinch.
3
: to be very careful about spending money : to spend as little money as possible
By pinching and scraping, she managed to save enough money to buy a new car.
4
chiefly British, informal
: to steal (something)
Someone pinched her purse.
The material was pinched [=lifted] from another book.
5
informal + old-fashioned
: to arrest (someone)
—often + for
He was pinched for speeding.
6
chiefly US, informal
a
: to cause financial problems for (someone or something)
Many people are now being/feeling pinched [=squeezed] by high gasoline prices.
The recession is pinching the pocketbooks of many people.
b
: to reduce or limit (something) in a way that causes problems
The trade embargo drove up prices and pinched supplies.
plural pinches
1
: the act of pinching someone or something
—usually singular
He gave me a pinch on the cheek. [=he pinched my cheek]
2
: the amount of something that can be held between your finger and thumb
—often + of
Add a pinch of salt to the soup.
He took a pinch of snuff.
always used before a noun
US, baseball
1
: used as a substitute for another player
a pinch runner [=a player who enters a game as a runner in place of another player]
2
: made by a pinch hitter
A pinch homer won the game.
a pinch hit
Cite this Entry
“Pinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/pinch. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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