squeeze
Americanverb (used with object)
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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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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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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:
As inflation continues to squeeze household budgets, parents and students are on a mission to find back-to-school bargains.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Higher mortgage rates will nevertheless squeeze the housing market.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Feeling the U.S. squeeze, Cuba’s government has signaled a willingness to discuss how to compensate the owners of expropriated property, in the hope that they agree to invest capital in the island first.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
"Workers are also set to see a renewed squeeze on living standards during the second half of the year as higher energy costs feed through to household bills."
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
I gave her a squeeze back, then stepped out from behind the statue.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
That’s why grassroots short squeezes happen to companies like GameStop or AMC and not Amalgamated Widget Inc.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
“That is the kind of setup squeezes tend to come from,” he said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 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
Mbeumo has almost used his arm to control the ball, he squeezes it towards his body, though you could argue he is trying to move it out of the way.
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
She opens the shampoo and squeezes a few drops onto my palm.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
“If a small or midsize family farmer tries to take that stand, good luck. They’re just going to get squeezed out of the market,” Volpe said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
Tepid domestic demand has squeezed corporate profits, reduced head counts at major firms and pushed more workers into the gig economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
Canada's economy had sputtered over the past year, as Trump's tariffs squeezed key sectors like auto-making, forced job losses and sent jitters across the business community.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
I've spoken to youth workers around the country who describe the pressure they face as budgets are squeezed.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
He squeezed the edge of the bed, digging his fingers into the mattress, as if that might anchor him.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
The NFL is expected to seek an early increase in its fees, further squeezing media companies’ budgets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Not everyone thinks squeezing out juniors is wise.
From Barron's ● 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
Although simply squeezing water into tiny spaces does not inherently make it more reactive, the surrounding material can still influence its chemistry.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026
His heart went from squeezing to thumping too hard when he recognized Josie’s familiar spiky handwriting on the paper.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
