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
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
Preston Fore, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
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
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 Americans are pinching their pennies amid SNAP cuts, soaring housing costs, and mass layoffs, the ultra-rich are seeing unprecedented wealth gains.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinching
Adjective
-
This was a decisive turn away from Hasina’s India-first posture and toward closer alignment with Beijing.—
MUHIB RAHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
-
Highly acidic foods like pickles and tomatoes will react with the can after an extended period of time, causing both taste and texture changes so pay particularly close attention to expiration dates on these items.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
11 Nov. 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
-
Jeff Bezos holding the device high.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
10 Nov. 2025
-
This loss had to be especially tough for the Jayhawks, considering a controversial holding call on KU changed the momentum of the game.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Jennifer Lawrence's Oscar-winning acting is known for stealing scenes, but during a recent outing in New York City, her straight-leg jeans took the spotlight.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
-
There’s a lot of concern among professionals across the creative and media industries that generative AI tools are essentially stealing their work by scraping content available on the Internet.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Start with one of Alexandra Llewellyn’s exquisite, handmade board games, which turns chess or backgammon into a feast for the eyes, so tactile and arresting, tempting you to play just one more game.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
11 Nov. 2025
-
The video shows immigration agents arresting a man later identified as Dennis Quiñonez, as people shout that there is a child in the back of the car.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
To develop the novel energy-conserving deicing method, the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF teamed up with their partners from the EU’s Clean Aviation program, including aircraft manufacturer Airbus and aerospace company Parker-Meggitt.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Practicing sustainable energy-conserving habits is key to proper energy hygiene.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Step by careful step, Holbrook climbed, holding out bologna and cheese until two pairs of cautious eyes peeked back.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Lately, though, that breakdown of trust has started nipping at Wikipedia’s heels.—
Harry Booth,
Time,
9 Nov. 2025
-
And perhaps most tellingly, the entire event was tinged with anticipation of Japan’s 2026 spotlight as the Cannes Film Market’s Country of Honor, a coronation that arrives just as Korean and Chinese competitors are nipping at Japanese content’s heels.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinching. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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