squeak
Americannoun
-
squeaks
plural
-
a short, sharp, shrill cry; a sharp, high-pitched sound.
-
Informal. opportunity; chance.
their last squeak to correct the manuscript.
-
an escape from defeat, danger, death, or destruction (usually qualified by narrow orclose ).
verb (used without object)
-
squeaks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
squeaked,
past participle, past
-
squeaking
present participle
-
to utter or emit a squeak or squeaky sound.
-
Slang. to confess or turn informer; squeal.
verb (used with object)
-
squeaks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
squeaked,
past participle, past
-
squeaking
present participle
verb phrase
noun
-
a short shrill cry or high-pitched sound
-
informal an escape (esp in the phrases narrow squeak , near squeak )
verb
-
to make or cause to make a squeak
-
(intr; usually foll by through or by) to pass with only a narrow margin
to squeak through an examination
-
informal (intr) to confess information about oneself or another
-
(tr) to utter with a squeak
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
squeaksimple
-
squeakssimple
-
have squeakedperfect
-
has squeakedperfect
-
am squeakingprogressive
-
are squeakingprogressive
-
is squeakingprogressive
-
have been squeakingperfect progressive
-
has been squeakingperfect progressive
Past
-
squeakedsimple
-
had squeakedperfect
-
was squeakingprogressive
-
were squeakingprogressive
-
had been squeakingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of squeak
1350–1400; Middle English squeken, perhaps < Scandinavian; compare Swedish skväka to croak
Explanation
To squeak is to make a high, short sound. Your hungry pet mice squeak for food, and your creaky old wood floors squeak when you walk across them. A door with rusty hinges will squeak when you open it, and your own voice may squeak when you're nervous. There are also the squeaks that small animals make, and the squeak that means "any communication," like when you don't hear a squeak from your next door neighbor for so long you wonder if he moved away. Informally, to "squeak by" or "squeak through" means to just barely achieve something, by a narrow margin.
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:
If there’s a severe drop in enthusiasm or an undervote, it might allow Hinojosa to squeak by.
From Slate ● Sep. 28, 2026
They gave up 22 more goals than they scored, worst among playoff teams, and needed points in 11 of their last 13 games just to squeak into the postseason as the final wild-card team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
A wild possum joined stuffed furry friends in an Australian airport gift shop this week, surprising travellers in an adorable case of hide and squeak.
From Barron's ● Mar. 19, 2026
The 118-year-old bear, which still has a working growl - now described as "more like a squeak" - was expected to fetch between £300 and £500.
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026
With every step I take, my sneakers squeak from all the water in my socks.
From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks
When the axle squeaks, as is happening in the 14th yet again, the rest of Los Angeles should watch out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2024
Diving beneath a white cathedral of ice, I could hear the shrill whistles, honks, and squeaks of harp seals.
From National Geographic ● Jan. 23, 2024
These included grunts, whimpers, laughter, screams, hoos, barks, squeaks, and pant hoots.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2023
“This season is all about physical comedy and stupid sound effects — we put so many basketball sneaker squeaks in places where they don’t belong!”
From New York Times ● Apr. 28, 2023
The chair squeaks as Celia rocks back and forth.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
I've not been impressed by Belgium, who squeaked their way to finish top of what was a pretty weak group.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Philadelphia managed to bumble its way into the play-in and squeaked into the playoffs to face Boston.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
The same day, the S&P 500 squeaked by with a 24.74-point, or almost 0.4%, gain that sent it to 6,796.29, for its best daily performance in a week.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 28, 2026
Reliever Justin Wrobleski pitched a scoreless seventh and Sasaki squeaked through a tense bottom of the eighth, giving up a single to Springer and walking Guerrero.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2025
His voice cut out a little on the last word, so it barely squeaked past his lips.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
After barely squeaking by Boise State in the season opener, they were upset on the road by Oklahoma State, which had previously lost 12 in a row.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
The tiny puppy, barely bigger than a football, is gently squeaking from inside a large cage where she is joined by a half-chewed fizzy drinks bottle and an array of dog toys.
From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026
“Wuthering Heights” begins with a slowly intensifying squeaking noise, bellowing out over a blank black frame.
From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2026
Since Friday, investors have been moving back toward tech and other riskier assets, but with the Dow squeaking toward a record, it shows they aren’t abandoning things either.
From Barron's ● Feb. 10, 2026
He makes a hand signal for the turn, which he takes inch by squeaking inch, Roli-style.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
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.
