as in squeeze
the act or process of reducing the size or volume of something by or as if by pressing
the tight squeezing of his hands on hers made her face turn red
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in crushing
to apply external pressure on so as to force out the juice or contents of
kept squeezing the bottle until the ketchup squirted all over the table
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in cramming
to fit (people or things) into a tight space
I think we can squeeze a bit more into the washing machine
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in earning
to get with great difficulty
managed to squeeze a living by cleaning houses
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in compressing
to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together
squeezed the blanket until it fit into the box
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in plucking
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
the mob squeezes all the local merchants by threatening violence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squeezing
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026
Equipped with a deep high-rise waistband featuring internal power mesh, Icebreaker has engineered these leggings to provide a bit of extra compression without over-squeezing.
—Harry Spampinato, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
Grip the handles on the sides of the machine, tighten your core, and extend your legs, squeezing your quadriceps (top thigh muscles) at the top.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 9 Mar. 2026
Persistent demand is squeezing shrinking cattle herds, according to a USDA report.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Salary costs weren’t the only thing squeezing Madrid’s profitability.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Other business leaders have trialed, but then dialed back, four-day work week experiments after seeing the strain of squeezing five days of work into four.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
The business has been brutal for the last couple of years — the pandemic, the strikes, the profit squeezing that led to a bunch of reduced production.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
Their business model is built around generating strong returns for investors, often by squeezing more profit out of existing assets.
—Matt Parr, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Noun
Hassan’s team instead squeezed a photon’s intensity and demonstrated real-time control, fluctuating between intensity and phase-squeezing by adjusting the silica’s position relative to the beams.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
The lady beetles emerging in spring actually entered your home in the fall, squeezing through small cracks to overwinter inside walls, attics, and other sheltered spaces.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026
Equipped with a deep high-rise waistband featuring internal power mesh, Icebreaker has engineered these leggings to provide a bit of extra compression without over-squeezing.
—Harry Spampinato, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
Grip the handles on the sides of the machine, tighten your core, and extend your legs, squeezing your quadriceps (top thigh muscles) at the top.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 9 Mar. 2026
Persistent demand is squeezing shrinking cattle herds, according to a USDA report.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Salary costs weren’t the only thing squeezing Madrid’s profitability.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Other business leaders have trialed, but then dialed back, four-day work week experiments after seeing the strain of squeezing five days of work into four.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
The business has been brutal for the last couple of years — the pandemic, the strikes, the profit squeezing that led to a bunch of reduced production.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
Their business model is built around generating strong returns for investors, often by squeezing more profit out of existing assets.
—Matt Parr, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squeezing
Noun
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This time around, DeRosa has likely learned from Yankees manager Aaron Boone’s miscalculation and will call upon Hill in a squeeze.—
Johnny Flores Jr,
New York Times,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Finish with a small squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the richness.—
Marianne Williams,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This year’s mantra of joy has resonated after last year’s crushing Final Four loss to Connecticut.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2026
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Some might find that turnaround surprising, especially considering the crushing manner in which Texas (18-1, 2-1 SEC) lost Friday, giving up a two-out, go-ahead grand slam in the ninth inning before ultimately falling in extras.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Buchanan, unaware of the extent of Mayne’s star power, picked up the roughly 6-foot-4 Pritzker Prize-winner from the airport, cramming him into her Nissan Sentra.—
Trevor Bach,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
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Cars registered to the UAE were not being allowed over the border, which led to Heliövaara moving his two children’s car seats as the desert sun beat down, as well as the five people plus six bags eventually cramming into one car.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On the field, the Dominican Republic won 7-5, with Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara earning the win.—
Noah Gulley,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
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One of his favorite experiences in scouting was earning the climbing merit badge, Frels said.—
Myrna Petlicki,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The software includes editing tools for inserting text, annotating, merging, splitting, compressing, and watermarking PDFs.—
StackCommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Compression packing cubes usually end up slightly domed in the center after compressing them.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Archive footage viewed on old VHS tapes and Super-8 film reveals that Cook was a talented and charismatic musician, plucking away at his Gibson while singing blues standards or original material.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Broten remembers Pavelich plucking his guitar and singing Neil Young songs on bus rides.—
Stephen Whyno,
Twin Cities,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Is there a path for states to keep pushing for a Live Nation breakup?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Some lawmakers are pushing back.—
Andrew Graham
March 9,
Sacbee.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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They’re made with the brand’s signature 360-degree smoothing panel design and gentle compression for comfy, easy-to-wear bottoms.—
Melony Forcier,
InStyle,
13 Mar. 2026
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Wanting to investigate further, Huang reached out to Jacopo Ferruzzi, a bioengineer at the University of Texas at Dallas who studies tissue mechanics, or how biological tissues respond and adapt to physical forces such as compression and tension.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squeezing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squeezing. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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