1
2
as in stole
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep
pinched the earrings while the boutique owner was distracted by another customer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in arrested
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law
pinched the purse snatcher just two blocks from where he had robbed the old lady
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in saved
to avoid unnecessary waste or expense
if we pinch hard for the upcoming year, we can probably afford the vacation at that fancy resort
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in reduced
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in gaunt
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pinched
Alexandra Hurtado, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Soon after, the bust got pinched.
—David Kushner, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
Among the royal gems that were pinched is a necklace, with eight sapphires and 631 diamonds, and the crown of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, encrusted with nearly 2,000 diamonds and 212 pearls.
—Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 20 Oct. 2025
Jordan Harris pinched down low but the Knights gained control and attacked.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
Nelson later explained that the explosion happened after the antenna lines pinched the battery layers together, causing a short circuit.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
Some even report being pinched and yanked at while in the room, staff say the pincher is the ghost of a homeless little girl who occupied the vacant prison during the Great Depression.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Traveling has gotten even more difficult in recent weeks after Doreen pinched a nerve in her spine and is now unable to lift Dan’s scooter.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
The mixture should be shaggy and hold together when pinched.
—Staff Author, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The basketball star playfully pinched his son’s cheek after the United States team beat Venezuela.
—Alexandra Hurtado, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Soon after, the bust got pinched.
—David Kushner, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
Among the royal gems that were pinched is a necklace, with eight sapphires and 631 diamonds, and the crown of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, encrusted with nearly 2,000 diamonds and 212 pearls.
—Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 20 Oct. 2025
Jordan Harris pinched down low but the Knights gained control and attacked.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
Nelson later explained that the explosion happened after the antenna lines pinched the battery layers together, causing a short circuit.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
Some even report being pinched and yanked at while in the room, staff say the pincher is the ghost of a homeless little girl who occupied the vacant prison during the Great Depression.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Traveling has gotten even more difficult in recent weeks after Doreen pinched a nerve in her spine and is now unable to lift Dan’s scooter.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
The mixture should be shaggy and hold together when pinched.
—Staff Author, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinched
Verb
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Elsewhere, a glass of orange juice propped on the side of an easel seemed to hint at an artist who just nipped out for a break.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
27 Oct. 2025
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Yet, the club still nipped the Lakers on 2024-25 revenue, $620 million to $618 million, thanks to the playoff run—the Lakers lost in the first round.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Just hours before the thieves quietly stole the historic coins, four chainsaw-wielding thieves broke into the Louvre Museum in Paris using a ladder boosted by a mechanical boom truck to force a window open at the famed museum and steal millions of dollars worth of jewelry.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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Boasting a skinny heel and pointy toe, Williams’ patent leather heels stole the spotlight at the event, which was held at the Campoamor Theater in Oviedo, Spain.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Footwear News,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Wondra wasn’t charged with those felonies until March 2023, after she’d been arrested in connection with Michael’s death.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Two participants have been arrested, and three others are being questioned, one of those officials said.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Recently, Overbey saved money stocking up on organic chocolate bars and sparkling waters while shopping on an overstock site.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Later in the first round Baltimore drafted Lamar Jackson, the sort of generational talent who very likely would have saved Grier’s job.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Traditionally, one of the key justifications for teamwork has been its psychological benefits—the energy that comes from collaboration, the reduced stress of shared responsibility, the excitement of building on each other’s ideas.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Fights Inflammation The anti-inflammatory power of broccoli is tied to a reduced risk of chronic (long-term) diseases.—
Isabel Vasquez RD LDN,
Health,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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And in a third, the gaunt 30-year-old killer flexes, purses his lips and squints.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The apparently recent footage showed two hostages -- Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Alon Ohel -- looking gaunt and exhausted while being driven around Gaza City.—
WAFAA SHURAFA,
Arkansas Online,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.—
Daniel S. Levine,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In 2023, a statue of a warrior riding a horse that symbolizes the sister city relationship between San Jose and Pune, India, was swiped from Guadalupe River Park.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
22 Oct. 2025
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Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa has been under glass since the 1950s, but not so in 1911, when Vincenzo Perrugia, a former museum staffer, hid in a cupboard overnight, then swiped what is now the world’s most famous painting and walked out with it under his coat.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pinched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinched. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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