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

2
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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
Her portrait of residents pinched between floods and receding sea ice is a testament to their love of this vulnerable land that is their home. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 Ingoglia has slammed city and county officials for overtaxing property owners as inflation and other costs have pinched residents. Gray Rohrer, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026 Petritz says leaves with sunscald can be pinched off. Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 30 May 2026 Fonseca served out under pressure to take the match into a deciding set, and when Djokovic, a master of closing, pinched an early break for 3-1, Fonseca simply broke back immediately. Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 29 May 2026 Many herbs should be pinched back to produce new branches and to keep fresh, tender leaves appearing throughout the summer. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 28 May 2026 While that gain outpaced the rate of inflation in 2025, many workers were still feeling pinched by the accumulation of higher prices over the past few years and had to cut corners to make ends meet and run up credit card debt to pay for everyday necessities. Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026 Walls swung away, rolled a ball through the infield that was pinched in and scored Mullins. Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 May 2026 Lately, the day-to-night, slip-on shoe has been showing up with ruching — as in, the upper is pinched along the edge to create an interesting textural effect. Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinched
Adjective
  • The 52-year-old wife of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the Norwegian throne, was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, a chronic disease that causes scarring in the lungs and leads to a reduced oxygen uptake.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
  • The plan depends on drug companies sending Canada extra at reduced prices, rather than at the prices charged in the US.
    Alan Gionet, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Adjective
  • Brig is in the Upper Valais, a gaunt and conservative place where the inhabitants speak Walliser German, an Alpine dialect that many Swiss people find unintelligible.
    Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
  • Gilbert, now imprisoned at Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York, appeared gaunt and withdrawn during the interview, at times mumbling short responses before abruptly cutting the conversation short.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • Incumbent Mayor Terry Lynne nipped Jaime Rivas by 25 votes in Saturday's Farmers Branch mayoral runoff, according to final but unofficial returns.
    Doug Myers, CBS News, 14 June 2026
  • But Sweeney nipped that idea in the bud.
    Selome Hailu, Variety, 1 June 2026
Verb
  • Marsh walked and stole second before Bryce Harper drew a walk.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 17 June 2026
  • Tree will remain standing Sherwood Forest, near Nottingham, in central England, is the traditional hideout of Robin Hood, a legendary outlaw who stole from the rich to give to the poor, while living in the forest to evade his nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham.
    Sam Peters, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • That September, he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and possession of marijuana following a vehicle crash in San Jose.
    Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2026
  • Three weeks into his third season, Smith was involved in a single-car accident and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and possession of marijuana.
    Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 June 2026
Verb
  • Modern triage systems emerged from battlefields where medical personnel had to decide, in seconds, who could be saved.
    Rob Lewis, New York Daily News, 17 June 2026
  • In other words, the debate is less about whether Social Security can be saved than which Americans should bear the cost of saving it.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Adjective
  • At the time, a slew of carriers had gone bankrupt, destabilizing the market and leading to skyrocketing premiums.
    Gray Rohrer, Miami Herald, 17 June 2026
  • Should the trust funds run out, Social Security would not go bankrupt, as payroll taxes that fund benefits will continue to come in.
    Lorie Konish, CNBC, 16 June 2026
Adjective
  • Rocking back and forth nervously during a television appearance, a haggard-looking Diaz-Canel acknowledged the same talks, which his government had denied were taking place just days before.
    Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Pinched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinched. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.

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