pinched 1 of 2

pinched

2 of 2

verb

past tense of pinch
1
as in nipped
to squeeze tightly between two surfaces, edges, or points the zipper on those jeans always pinches me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pinched
Verb
Among the trends expected, discounting will be at or near historic high levels, with retailers aware that consumers are pinched by rising prices. — David Moin, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026 While higher gasoline prices have pinched drivers, high diesel prices are pressuring consumers more broadly. — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026 Workers have been frantically building an emergency revetment — placing rocks on the coast to armor the shoreline against the waves — to shore up the roadway, located on a narrow strip of coastline pinched between the ocean and a cliff. — Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 On the final play of the first quarter of Saturday’s preseason opener, backup quarterback Kyle Allen scrambled left and got pinched off near the sideline. — Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026 Nerves are effectively long cables running from the spinal cord out to the skin and muscles, and like any cable, they can be pinched. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 Many teachers and residents across the county are feeling pinched by Johnson County’s rising costs of living. — Taylor O'Connor 15, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2026 But the chairman also acknowledged how consumers are feeling pinched by years of high inflation. — Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 14 July 2026 This decline has pinched profit margins in the 401(k) world, said Kai Richter, an attorney with Cohen Milstein who has long specialized in ERISA class-action cases. — Paul Kiel, ProPublica, 8 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinched
Adjective
  • Cleveland Clinic lists a long slate of possible benefits ranging from lower blood pressure and improved oxygen levels to reduced snoring, better dry mouth and improved bad breath.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Health inspectors found goat cheese packaged in reduced oxygen packaging, which is not permitted.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The group last played a public show on July 18 in Valdosta, Georgia, following an uneven few months where Love appeared gaunt and sang in a raspy, diminished voice.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Apple was widely criticized in the late 2000s for not volunteering more information about Jobs’ health, especially as concerns about his gaunt appearance battered the company’s shares.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • One day a duck zinged out of the river, nipped at his Mini-Whopper.
    — George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Begin the gauntlet against the Hoosiers, who nipped the Buckeyes 13-10 in last season's Big Ten championship.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • After the vows, the newlyweds stole a quiet moment to take sunset portraits along the water.
    — Alexandra Macon, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The hackers who stole billions of dollars in cryptocurrency from the Binance exchange spent months working on the theft and used both social engineering and novel malware in the process, the company said Tuesday.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 4 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • According to Fulton County jail records, New has been arrested multiple times on suspicion of crimes including identity theft, insurance fraud, financial transaction card fraud, forgery and simple assault.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Officers arrested a suspect and seized two weapons after windows were broken at a gun shop.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Each of the birthday edition Huayras is stunning in its own way, but photos of the latest entry suggest the designer’s eponymous marque saved the best for last.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Offensively, kicker Brandon Aubrey saved a handful of drives from being complete washes, but the failure to execute continued to rear its head in the fourth quarter and overtime to assist Arizona in pulling out the win.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • Solyndra, a now-bankrupt solar panel manufacturer, collapsed two years later, and the taxpayer absorbed the loss and the political damage.
    — Mariana Mazzucato, Time, 29 Oct. 2026
  • This is going to cause somebody to go bankrupt and ruin their lives.
    — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The songs on Purdy also have the tone of journal entries, detailing haggard trips to the grocery store, daydreams about his young daughters’ glamorous adult lives, and observations about the banality of oppression.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Xbox, despite its increasingly haggard reputation, has announced backwards compatibility for PC.
    — Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pinched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinched. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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