1
as in reduced
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2
as in gaunt
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pinched
Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 5 Mar. 2026
Hosts Newcastle United had 10 men for the whole of the second half but somehow pinched a 2-1 win in the final throes of the contest.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Higher gas prices would crimp household budgets at a time when many consumers are already feeling pinched by an affordability crunch, with Americans expressing concerns about the rising cost of food, health care and housing.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
The shelves are bare, and the pennies are being pinched.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2026
Daintily pinched fabric on the hem of a flat sheet is almost like a little secret.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 28 Feb. 2026
Like Home Depot, Lowe’s has felt pinched by a tougher backdrop for the industry.
—Melissa Repko, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2026
They were pinched, prodded, cut, shocked, pierced with needles, struck with canes, and burned with acid.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
The pocket is easily pinched closed.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
At one point during the scuffle, McGinnis was lifted from the ground as the officers and senator were trying to physically remove him, and his left hand was apparently pinched in the gap between the hinge side of the door and the adjacent molding.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 5 Mar. 2026
Hosts Newcastle United had 10 men for the whole of the second half but somehow pinched a 2-1 win in the final throes of the contest.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Higher gas prices would crimp household budgets at a time when many consumers are already feeling pinched by an affordability crunch, with Americans expressing concerns about the rising cost of food, health care and housing.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
The shelves are bare, and the pennies are being pinched.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2026
Daintily pinched fabric on the hem of a flat sheet is almost like a little secret.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 28 Feb. 2026
Like Home Depot, Lowe’s has felt pinched by a tougher backdrop for the industry.
—Melissa Repko, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2026
They were pinched, prodded, cut, shocked, pierced with needles, struck with canes, and burned with acid.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
The pocket is easily pinched closed.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinched
Adjective
-
Drive at a reduced speed during wet weather.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The act requires that savings from reduced incarceration be directed toward victim services, community corrections and programs that support community reintegration for people who’ve been released from prison.—
Mara H. Gottfried,
Twin Cities,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Lie’s Evans is gaunt and distant, a shy man hidden behind a veil of cigarette smoke, unable to process — or even express — his grief.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Nitibhon, a Thai supermodel, plays her tycoon as comically drab, keeping her gaunt cheeks slack to emphasize her character’s hollowness.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There was also a scuba aesthetic that continued from last season with honkering inflatable coats, cocooning anoraks, and neoprene blazers nipped at the waist that looked like couture life vests and scuba suits.—
Kevin Huynh,
InStyle,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Bowen nipped in ahead of Calvin Bassey and passed to Summerville, who advanced to stroke his fifth league goal of the season, and seventh in 10 appearances across all competitions, into the unguarded net.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Acuna walked on five pitches to lead off the inning and then stole second.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The lawsuit by Zabel claims Sánchez stole her idea for a children’s book.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Officials identified the man as Grant Parker, who had been arrested last month on suspicion of murder.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Deputies have arrested a foster father for allegedly molesting two children over 10 years in Riverside County.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Fittingly, what saved me were the restrictions that had by that point long been placed on my own life—work, family, routine—and the small adjustments which, like moving from a first draft to publication, can make things better, easier to live with.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Mar. 2026
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Medics rushed both victims to Jacobi Medical Center but they could not be saved.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Wrexham, meanwhile, was near the bottom, struggling in England’s lowest division under a haggard fan-ownership group keeping it on life support.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
As Derya and Aziz’s hypocrisies, as upper-class intellectuals, are increasingly brought to the fore, Namal and Biçer’s conversational performances grow haggard and strained.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Pinched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinched. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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