the squeeze

noun

informal

: a situation that causes feelings of stress and pressure

We are really feeling the squeeze since I lost my job.

The government is putting the squeeze on tax evaders.

Examples of the squeeze in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Although inflation has since fallen below June 2022’s 40-year high of 9.1%, Americans are still struggling to make ends meet and feeling the squeeze on their paychecks. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024

And the onsite ice cream shop is a godsend, stocked with all the squeeze pouches and kid snacks a young family could desire. —Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2024

To make matters harder for Hong Kong, worsening tensions between the U.S. and China could put the squeeze on the city, which has long thrived on having links to both the Western and Chinese economies. —Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 27 Mar. 2024

That referendum helped the district shoulder the squeeze between rising costs and conservative state lawmakers. —Rory Linnane, Journal Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2024

The news comes amid a declining number of deals and dollars for private biotech firms, which have felt the squeeze of the industry’s recent contraction. —Damian Garde, STAT, 6 Mar. 2024

In an economy that is doing well, but where many voters are still feeling the squeeze of higher prices, these numbers matter as do the candidates’ work to address these and many other issues. —Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 12 Jan. 2024

The Kremlin is putting the squeeze on countries such as Moldova, the Baltic states and those in the Caucasus region in the name of protecting Russian minorities. —Bloomberg, Fortune Europe, 18 Mar. 2024

Bathrooms are notorious for lacking proper storage no matter their size, but tiny bathrooms can feel the squeeze even more. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2024