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
The rope around my left thigh pinched and clawed at the butterflies inked on my skin. Literary Hub, 17 June 2026 The chain has been further pinched in recent years by the growth of DoorDash, Uber Eats and other restaurant delivery companies which marketed access to a slew of cuisines besides pizza. ABC News, 16 June 2026 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 However, many annuals can become spindly and produce fewer blooms than expected unless they are pinched back. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinched
Adjective
  • Nienhuis said Billy Mansfield previously indicated there could be more bodies in Hernando, Pasco and Pinellas counties, but investigators were unable to reach an agreement that would have provided additional information in exchange for reduced charges.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2026
  • Drive at a reduced speed during wet weather.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 23 June 2026
Adjective
  • The church’s punishment, however, delivered in front of the congregants, is an eerie ritual performed by a gaunt, severe visitor (Nicholas Hope).
    Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • In the end, a ball that nipped back in from Harry Conway, bowling around the wicket, did for Stokes five runs short of his century.
    Hector Vickers, New York Times, 21 June 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Joshua Serad, of Maple Shade, stole and damaged Pride flags Monday in the business district of Haddonfield on Kings Highway, according to police.
    Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 24 June 2026
  • Fudd followed with a go-ahead layup that put Dallas up 111-110 before Jessica Shepard stole the ball, and Aziaha James capped the scoring with a free throw to end it.
    ABC News, ABC News, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Police Scotland said that a 36-year-old man was arrested late Friday after officers received multiple reports of attacks in the west and north of Edinburgh.
    Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026
  • Bridges pointed to an encounter last year in which an officer threatened Breshari Faulkner with a Taser, pulled her from her car onto the ground and arrested her during a confrontation over a handicapped parking space in the same Walmart lot where Kohen was shot.
    TRAVIS LOLLER, Arkansas Online, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • The Ocean City, New Jersey, man who saved a girl from a rip current late last year has received a major honor.
    Janelle Burrell, CBS News, 24 June 2026
  • The goalkeeper saved long-range shots by Rodríguez, Johan Mojica and Gustavo Puerta, and close-range attempts by Díaz and Muñoz.
    ABC News, ABC News, 24 June 2026
Adjective
  • The new plan was to use two aircraft Boeing originally built for a Russian airline that went bankrupt before they could be delivered.
    Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 24 June 2026
  • Automakers such as Lordstown Motors and Fisker Automotive went bankrupt, while Rivian Automotive and Lucid Motors have reported billions of dollars in annual losses and both recently announced layoffs.
    Michael Wayland, CNBC, 24 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 26 Jun. 2026.

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