squeezed; squeezing
1
a
: to exert pressure especially on opposite sides of : compress
b
: to extract or emit under pressure
c
: to force or thrust by compression
2
a(1)
: to get by extortion
(2)
: to deprive by extortion
b
: to cause economic hardship to
c
: to reduce the amount of
squeezes profits
3
: to crowd into a limited area
4
: to gain or win by a narrow margin
5
: to force (another player) to discard in bridge so as to unguard a suit
6
: to score by means of a squeeze play
1
: to give way before pressure
2
: to exert pressure
also
: to practice extortion or oppression
3
: to force one's way
squeeze through a door
4
: to pass, win, or get by narrowly
1
a
: an act or instance of squeezing : compression
2
3
: a profit taken by a middleman on goods or transactions
4
: a financial pressure caused by narrowing margins or by shortages
5
: a forced discard in bridge
6
7
slang
: a romantic partner
she's my main squeeze
Examples of squeeze in a Sentence
Verb
He lightly squeezed her hand and smiled.
Gently squeeze the fruit to see if it's ripe.
Hold it securely but don't squeeze too hard.
He squeezed the juice from the orange.
Noun
Fifty guests will be a bit of a squeeze.
It'll be a tight squeeze, but we can all fit.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jakob Roze, Health, 31 Oct. 2025
George Matysik, executive director of Share Food Program, a Philadelphia food bank, told USA TODAY that food banks are already squeezed by federal funding cuts.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
The data, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Wednesday, shows that the financial squeeze on consumers and businesses remains high, but there are hopes this could be the peak.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squeeze
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Pause at the top and hold for a couple of seconds, squeezing your glutes for maximum engagement.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 31 Oct. 2025
George Matysik, executive director of Share Food Program, a Philadelphia food bank, told USA TODAY that food banks are already squeezed by federal funding cuts.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
There’s no need to use a caulking gun to apply it, just remove the cap and squeeze.
—Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
The data, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Wednesday, shows that the financial squeeze on consumers and businesses remains high, but there are hopes this could be the peak.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squeeze
Cite this Entry
“Squeeze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squeeze. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
squeeze
1 of 2 verb
squeezed; squeezing
1
2
a
: to force (as by threats) money, goods, or services from
squeezed their tenants mercilessly
b
: to reduce the amount of
rising costs squeezed profits
3
: to gain or win by a narrow margin
squeezer
noun
squeeze
2 of 2 noun1
: an act or instance of squeezing
2
: financial pressure
put the squeeze on someone
3
slang
: a romantic partner
she's my main squeeze
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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