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2
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as in compresses
to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together
squeezed the blanket until it fit into the box
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in plucks
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
the mob squeezes all the local merchants by threatening violence
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in darlings
slang
a person with whom one is in love
she and her main squeeze are spending Valentine's Day at a romantic country inn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squeezes
James Ward, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
All this requires a lot of power, which puts a strain on the grid and squeezes local resources.
—New Atlas, 7 Feb. 2026
Instead, in order to protect their identities, their words are read aloud during re-enactments by powerhouse actresses such as Emma Thompson (who squeezes herself beneath an axle) and Kate Dickie (performing, as the nurse, on all fours on Kenmure Street itself).
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
FOToS squeezes a great deal of Puerto Rican culture and politics into the format of an event album that is aching to get children and grandparents on the same page.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
As the moon follows an elliptical path, Saturn’s gravity stretches and squeezes it.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025
Somewhere within the murky snowfall and frost, evening is falling, and the April darkness squeezes between snowflakes that pile up on the man and the two horses.
—Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
As Arizona squeezes more money from its decreasing share of river water, freighting every drop with critical industries and a booming housing market, the price of water is bound to keep climbing.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
The surgeon withdraws the balloon and then squeezes the implant in through a sterile funnel before closing the incision.
—Jolene Edgar, Allure, 15 Oct. 2025
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 Jan. 2026
There had only been six previous go-ahead late-inning squeezes — by the Giants in the 2014 NLCS, the Nationals in the 2014 NLDS, the Yankees in the 1996 ALDS, the Mets in the 1969 World Series, the Red Sox in the 1918 World Series and the Braves in the 1914 World Series.
—Jayson Stark, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Using your hands, give the leaves 2 to 3 aggressive squeezes.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2025
Simple exercises, such as ball squeezes, towel twists, dead hangs, and farmers' carries, can build grip strength using everyday items or basic equipment.
—Aubrey Bailey, Verywell Health, 8 Sep. 2025
Worst of all, thanks to sporadic bouts of spot alopecia, too many squeezes of a lash curler and irritating makeup removal can spark a lash shed for me.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
Any tariff shift moves shipping volumes, squeezes supply chains, and eventually nudges consumer prices — but those ripples take time to reach shelves and paychecks.
—James Ward, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
All this requires a lot of power, which puts a strain on the grid and squeezes local resources.
—New Atlas, 7 Feb. 2026
Instead, in order to protect their identities, their words are read aloud during re-enactments by powerhouse actresses such as Emma Thompson (who squeezes herself beneath an axle) and Kate Dickie (performing, as the nurse, on all fours on Kenmure Street itself).
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
FOToS squeezes a great deal of Puerto Rican culture and politics into the format of an event album that is aching to get children and grandparents on the same page.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
As the moon follows an elliptical path, Saturn’s gravity stretches and squeezes it.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025
Somewhere within the murky snowfall and frost, evening is falling, and the April darkness squeezes between snowflakes that pile up on the man and the two horses.
—Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
As Arizona squeezes more money from its decreasing share of river water, freighting every drop with critical industries and a booming housing market, the price of water is bound to keep climbing.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
The surgeon withdraws the balloon and then squeezes the implant in through a sterile funnel before closing the incision.
—Jolene Edgar, Allure, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
First, they are set up for serious short squeezes because the surrounding verbiage is so toxic.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 Jan. 2026
There had only been six previous go-ahead late-inning squeezes — by the Giants in the 2014 NLCS, the Nationals in the 2014 NLDS, the Yankees in the 1996 ALDS, the Mets in the 1969 World Series, the Red Sox in the 1918 World Series and the Braves in the 1914 World Series.
—Jayson Stark, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Using your hands, give the leaves 2 to 3 aggressive squeezes.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2025
Simple exercises, such as ball squeezes, towel twists, dead hangs, and farmers' carries, can build grip strength using everyday items or basic equipment.
—Aubrey Bailey, Verywell Health, 8 Sep. 2025
Worst of all, thanks to sporadic bouts of spot alopecia, too many squeezes of a lash curler and irritating makeup removal can spark a lash shed for me.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squeezes
Verb
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Behind her closed door, Bree takes out the data card with Lucy’s confession and crushes it with a stapler.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Layer on top of this the inescapable student-loan debt that crushes their spirit and bank accounts.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Instead, the show crams everything into a space that can't hold it, culminating in this past third season that exploded with too much of practically everything.—
Matthew Razak,
Space.com,
4 Feb. 2026
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Television has always relied on big, gasp-inducing moments, but Murphy crams them in even at the expense of narrative cohesion.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At nearly 6 millimeters, Megabathynella totemensis genuinely earns the title among its peers.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) earns 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards® points on most generic online grocery purchases.—
Ryley Amond,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In operation, the actuator compresses and holds the Ni-Ti tubes, causing the material to heat up.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
5 Feb. 2026
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Their terahertz microscope compresses long terahertz waves into a microscopic spot.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The first layer, called the Level-1 Trigger, or L1T, harvests 100,000 events per second, and the second layer, called the High-Level Trigger, or HLT, plucks 1,000 of those events to save for later analysis.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
3 Feb. 2026
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From the metallic sheen of a beetle to the delicacy of a butterfly, Sandini described how Materia Futura plucks inspiration straight from nature.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Other pushes Trump made in his speech have slimmer prospects of becoming law this year, such as his package of health care proposals that would redirect Affordable Care Act subsidies directly to consumers’ health savings accounts.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
25 Feb. 2026
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Johanna pulls off her mother’s jacket, knocks her to the ground, and pushes up her sleeve to uncover the scars of her mother’s long-ago suicide attempt.—
Elaine Blair,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Leading the way are Vogue cover star Rosalía, Olympian Alysa Liu, and street-style darlings.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
19 Feb. 2026
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The absence of those factors is likely why none of his films broke through to reach a wider audience or became awards season darlings.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Faced with way-too-high gym rates and struggling to pay rent, Brittany presses onward in her training and hopes to get by with a little help from friends.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
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But as her story ends, her career on the stage presses forward.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squeezes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squeezes. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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