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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pinching
Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 27 Oct. 2025
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
Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
The high elastic waistband flatteringly cinches without pinching, according to one shopper, and the baggy wide-leg design gives your legs room to move through long airport lines and eight-hour workdays.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 22 Oct. 2025
The silicone pad is molded to a curved angle, what the brand calls a mushroom shape, to reach each lash with precision and adequate pressure without pinching the skin.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
OmniBook x Flip, a 2-in-1 laptop that can do it all, featuring a spacious 16-inch display with a sharp 2K resolution that will never leave you squinting, pinching to zoom, or switching orientations to better see what’s on your screen.
—PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
Pruning Young chocolate cosmos plants benefit from pinching back early the growing season.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
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
Noun
Walter’s first full season in charge was the end of the penny pinching that existed under prior owner Frank McCourt.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 27 Oct. 2025
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
While there have been many fine adaptations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Alastair Sim's performance as the miserly, penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge elevates this version to must-see status.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
The high elastic waistband flatteringly cinches without pinching, according to one shopper, and the baggy wide-leg design gives your legs room to move through long airport lines and eight-hour workdays.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 22 Oct. 2025
The silicone pad is molded to a curved angle, what the brand calls a mushroom shape, to reach each lash with precision and adequate pressure without pinching the skin.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
OmniBook x Flip, a 2-in-1 laptop that can do it all, featuring a spacious 16-inch display with a sharp 2K resolution that will never leave you squinting, pinching to zoom, or switching orientations to better see what’s on your screen.
—PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
Pruning Young chocolate cosmos plants benefit from pinching back early the growing season.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinching
Adjective
-
Even as American political polarization has intensified over the last eight years, both Republicans and Democrats have agreed that an increasingly powerful Beijing poses an economic, technological, and security threat to Washington and its close allies.—
Mira Rapp-Hooper,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
-
On the series, JD and Michelle have grown closer, but in real life, Todd is married to Jordan Wilcox Lasance.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But starting in 1970, Time and Date AS has tracked observance of daylight saving time in Kentucky every year.—
Chris Sims,
Louisville Courier Journal,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Daylight saving time always begins on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But when Ronnie set the theater's copy of The Music Man in motion on the projector, Matty appeared on screen holding what looked like a baby swaddled in a blanket.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
-
In photos obtained by the outlet, the pair could be seen walking out of the theater while holding hands and smiling.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Their double life soon gets complicated when a rival boy band harboring a sinister secret begins stealing their fans.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
-
And the scam compounds in Cambodia continue to operate, stealing money from victims including US citizens.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Turner spoke with an arresting conviction, locating Canada’s fate in geography, history, and its defining quest to defy manifest destiny and political gravity.—
Dónal Gill,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
-
In Douala, Cameroon’s economic hub, security forces used water cannons and tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters, arresting close to 100.—
Amindeh Blaise Atabong,
semafor.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Practicing sustainable energy-conserving habits is key to proper energy hygiene.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The IoT has opened new possibilities in healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, and agriculture such as connected tractors and soil sensors that enable smart farming, boosting yields while conserving resources.—
Mallik Tatipamula,
IEEE Spectrum,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This careful tiptoeing is probably because the scissor artwork was never meant to be sold at a wider scale.—
Samantha Allen,
Them.,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Political forecasters give the GOP a better shot in New Jersey, where their nominee, former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, is nipping away at Sherrill's lead in the polls.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The Washington Commanders are also nipping at the Cowboys' heels with a 3-4 record.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinching. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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