as in close
giving or sharing as little as possible
neighborhood kids who were trick-or-treating knew better than to bother to knock on that pinching couple's door
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in saving
the quality or practice of being overly sparing with money
this constant pinching is getting ridiculous—we can afford to turn on one or two lights!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in stealing
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 arresting
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 conserving
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pinching
Isabel Garcia, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2025
Now, every webpage could be viewed natively on the phone’s browser, and zooming into a section was as easy as pinching or double-tapping.
—ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2025
Besides pinching, the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses can also be controlled using the Meta AI voice assistant, just as users can with the device’s predecessors.
—Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2025
In Bergdorf Goodman, Jane would protest her mother’s instructions in front of the salesgirls, and her mother would silence her by pinching her arm.
—Nicole Flattery, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Another option is the Valsalva maneuver, which requires pinching your nose, closing your mouth and blowing gently out through your ears.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Otherwise, the Galaxy Watch 8 has Samsung’s One UI 8 interface on top of Wear OS 6 to put its own spin on interacting with your watch, with support for gesture controls to dismiss an alarm by twisting your wrist or take a picture by double-pinching your fingers.
—PC Magazine, 24 Aug. 2025
Hypernova will ship bundled with an sEMG wristband, codenamed Ceres, that reads muscle signals in the wrist to enable discreet gesture controls such as pinching.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
The ulnar collateral ligament in the hand stabilizes the base of the thumb, allowing for pinching and gripping.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
Noun
The shoes have a wide toe box with plenty of room for feet to spread out, which helps prevent painful pinching and accommodates foot issues.
—Isabel Garcia, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
Bring edges of dough over apple mixture; shape into a ball, pinching and tucking dough edges to seal.
—Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2025
Now, every webpage could be viewed natively on the phone’s browser, and zooming into a section was as easy as pinching or double-tapping.
—ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2025
Besides pinching, the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses can also be controlled using the Meta AI voice assistant, just as users can with the device’s predecessors.
—Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2025
In Bergdorf Goodman, Jane would protest her mother’s instructions in front of the salesgirls, and her mother would silence her by pinching her arm.
—Nicole Flattery, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Another option is the Valsalva maneuver, which requires pinching your nose, closing your mouth and blowing gently out through your ears.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Otherwise, the Galaxy Watch 8 has Samsung’s One UI 8 interface on top of Wear OS 6 to put its own spin on interacting with your watch, with support for gesture controls to dismiss an alarm by twisting your wrist or take a picture by double-pinching your fingers.
—PC Magazine, 24 Aug. 2025
Hypernova will ship bundled with an sEMG wristband, codenamed Ceres, that reads muscle signals in the wrist to enable discreet gesture controls such as pinching.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
The ulnar collateral ligament in the hand stabilizes the base of the thumb, allowing for pinching and gripping.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinching
Adjective
-
Bishnoi denies involvement in Moosewala’s murder, but in an explosive interview from behind bars, accused his close aide of orchestrating it.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The departure of Busquets and Alba means Messi will lose two of his most talented teammates and closest friends.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Hunt After years of diligent saving, a longtime renter with a $300,000 budget weighed whether to take his parents’ advice and return to his childhood building in Elmhurst, or branch out.—
Dan Levin,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Giving and saving were instilled, too.—
Sarah Jones,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Almost as a cry for help, just holding onto her last bit of identity and not having a lot of time to do things on her own time.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
-
In case that wasn't enough of a wink from the show's creators, there's a scene in the finale where the head nurse at the institution holding Gein advises him to write a book, noting that so many other people have taken liberties with his story.—
JR Radcliffe,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
What he’s actually done is fake his death to create a template for a new life by stealing $90 million from a client of his crooked law firm.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
-
One man was arrested and accused of stealing a golf cart.—
Bob Harkins,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The video concludes with the music, blending heritage and innovation into one visually arresting finale.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
-
When the photographer Mary Ellen Mark arrived in New York City, in 1966, one of her strategies for finding arresting images was to attend parades and other large gatherings, seeking out subjects not in the main flow of the action but on the periphery.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Iran can achieve that by abandoning water-hungry crops, shifting to smart farming, conserving every drop, and reviving flood-management techniques Iranians once mastered to recharge depleted aquifers.—
Nik Kowsar,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
-
While the app is available and encouraged year-round, the week was a spotlight on the importance of joint effort when conserving the environment, Zirk said.—
Madison Beveridge,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
These treatments require careful and ongoing monitoring.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Legette’s catch started an extraordinary Panthers comeback that ended with Carolina nipping Miami, 27-24, in front of the home crowd at Bank of America Stadium.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The Yankees were nipping at the Blue Jays' heels throughout the month of September.—
Jon Paul Hoornstra,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinching. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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