squeeze
Americanverb (used with object)
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squeezes,
present (3rd person singular)
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squeezed,
past participle, past
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squeezing
present participle
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to press forcibly together; compress.
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to apply pressure to in order to extract juice, sap, or the like.
The tool is used to squeeze an orange.
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to force out, extract, or procure by pressure.
For this cocktail, first squeeze the juice from a pineapple.
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to thrust forcibly; force by pressure; cram.
I squeezed three suits into a small suitcase and now I'm afraid to unpack.
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to fit into a small or crowded space or timespan.
The doctor will try to squeeze you in between appointments.
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to enclose (another person's hand, arm, etc.) in one's hand and apply pressure as a token of affection, friendship, sympathy, or the like.
His father squeezed his hand and wished him luck.
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to give (someone) a hug.
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to threaten, intimidate, harass, or oppress (a person) in order to obtain a favor, money, or an advantageous attitude or action.
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to cause financial hardship to.
Manufacturers squeezed by high tariffs have stopped offering international shipping.
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to obtain a facsimile impression of.
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to cause to merge, as two or more lines of traffic into fewer lanes.
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Baseball.
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to enable (a runner on third base) to score on a squeeze play (often followed byin ).
He squeezed him in with a perfect bunt.
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to score (a run) in this way (often followed byin ).
The Dodgers squeezed in a run in the eighth inning.
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Bridge. to force (an opponent) to play a potentially winning card on a trick they cannot win.
verb (used without object)
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squeezes,
present (3rd person singular)
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squeezed,
past participle, past
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squeezing
present participle
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to exert a compressing force.
She took his hand and squeezed hard.
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to force one's way through some narrow or crowded place (usually followed by through, in, out, etc.).
It was so crowded we could barely squeeze through the passageway.
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to merge or come together.
noun
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squeezes
plural
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the act or fact of squeezing or the fact of being squeezed.
It'll be a bit of a squeeze to get them all in the same taxi.
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a clasping of one's hand around another's hand, arm, etc., as a token of affection, friendship, sympathy, or the like.
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a hug or close embrace.
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a troubled financial condition, especially caused by a shortage or restriction, as of credit or funds.
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a small quantity or amount of anything obtained by squeezing.
It just needs a squeeze of lemon juice.
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Slang. a sweetheart.
his main squeeze.
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a facsimile impression of an inscription or the like, obtained by pressing some plastic substance over or around it.
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Bridge. a play or circumstance whereby an opponent is forced to waste or discard a potentially winning card.
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an act of threatening, intimidating, harassing, or oppressing a person or persons to obtain a favor, money, or an advantageous attitude or action.
gangsters putting the squeeze on small businesses.
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money or a favor obtained in such a way.
verb
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to grip or press firmly, esp so as to crush or distort; compress
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to crush or press (something) so as to extract (a liquid)
to squeeze the juice from an orange
to squeeze an orange
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to apply gentle pressure to, as in affection or reassurance
he squeezed her hand
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to push or force in a confined space
to squeeze six lettuces into one box
to squeeze through a crowd
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to hug closely
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to oppress with exacting demands, such as excessive taxes
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to exert pressure on (someone) in order to extort (something): to squeeze money out of a victim by blackmail
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(intr) to yield under pressure
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to make an impression of (a coin, etc) in a soft substance
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bridge whist to lead a card that forces (opponents) to discard potentially winning cards
noun
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the act or an instance of squeezing or of being squeezed
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a hug or handclasp
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a crush of people in a confined space
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a condition of restricted credit imposed by a government to counteract price inflation
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an impression, esp of a coin, etc, made in a soft substance
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an amount extracted by squeezing
add a squeeze of lemon juice
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commerce any action taken by a trader or traders on a market that forces buyers to make purchases and prices to rise
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informal pressure brought to bear in order to extort something (esp in the phrase put the squeeze on )
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Also called: squeeze play. bridge whist a manoeuvre that forces opponents to discard potentially winning cards
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informal a person with whom one is having a romantic relationship
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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squeezernoun
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intersqueezeverb (used with object)
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squeezableadjective
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unsqueezedadjective
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squeezinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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squeezesimple
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squeezessimple
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have squeezedperfect
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has squeezedperfect
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am squeezingprogressive
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are squeezingprogressive
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is squeezingprogressive
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have been squeezingperfect progressive
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has been squeezingperfect progressive
Past
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squeezedsimple
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had squeezedperfect
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was squeezingprogressive
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were squeezingprogressive
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had been squeezingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of squeeze
First recorded in 1590–1600; perhaps variant of obsolete squize ( Old English cwȳsan ) “to squeeze,” with initial s by false division of words in a closely joined phrase
Explanation
When you squeeze something, you put pressure on it. If you squeeze your toothpaste from the bottom up, you'll get the most out of your tube. The word squeeze has to do with force or pressure. When you squeeze something, like an orange, you are crushing it to extract juice. When you squeeze into a pair of jeans, you're forcing yourself into them. When you give someone a squeeze, you're giving them a tight hug. And when you're in a squeeze, you're in a tight spot, or a bind.
Vocabulary lists containing squeeze
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The rich are driving the economic bus, so to speak, and the rest of the country is just trying squeeze into the cheap seats.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Price rises for goods such as laptops and smartphones, with cars potentially next, have been an unwelcome side-effect of the artificial intelligence gold rush -- and the squeeze is far from over.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
With the diesel supply squeeze, refinery margins are likely to stay high even when oil prices come down, said John Kilduff, a partner at investment advisory firm Again Capital.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Alongside the current pressures on the system there is extra water demand expected in the coming years from new houses, data centres and other sectors which could further squeeze supplies.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
“And it’s just big enough for one of us to squeeze through!”
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
The presence of so many stalwarts largely squeezes out fresh talent, but the mysterious Irish newcomer Dove Ellis stands out as a potential winner, for the otherworldly beauty of his debut album, Blizzard.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
She said that her “Ear Lift”—an exercise she practices in which she squeezes the jaw muscles around her ears—helps decrease brow-furrowing with lateral movements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
In that instance, AgentSmyth says to look at the short interest to identify potential short squeezes.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
Regardless of how well their homes blend in, any sale of a home in California’s sky-high real estate market, by an investor or otherwise, potentially squeezes the middle and working class.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
Mom has already scooped servings of pasta and clams into four bowls, each garnished with sprinkles of parsley and squeezes of lemon.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
McMorrow was squeezed out and quit the race in early July.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026
In the slides, Fifa's central argument was that football does not raise enough cash in relation to its fan base, that "Fifa has been under-monetised versus other leagues" and so "global football development gets squeezed".
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Apple and other customers squeezed suppliers during past downturns, sowing the seeds for current shortages, memory executives say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Investors have rightly given up on companies such as General Mills and Kraft Heinz, which are squeezed by everything from inflation to GLP-1s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
I squeezed him tight and would not let go, not even to look at his face.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
As a result, in 2015-16, regulators delayed the crab season for months, ultimately squeezing the typical seven months down to roughly two.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
US households saw some temporary respite in recent weeks as gasoline prices -- which have been squeezing families' budgets -- dropped below the $4 per gallon average on an interim deal between Washington and Tehran.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
Last year, Hidden Valley unveiled the first major redesign of its packaging in decades: an upside-down bottle engineered for optimal squeezing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
“You can agree or disagree with the policy decisions, but he’s squeezing all the juice out of that office.”
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
“You were saying those mean things,” Nathan said, squeezing the small piece of turquoise.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
