squeak
Americannoun
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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)
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squeaks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
squeaked,
past participle, past
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squeaking
present participle
-
to utter or emit a squeak or squeaky sound.
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Slang. to confess or turn informer; squeal.
verb (used with object)
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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
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(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
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squeakssimple
-
have squeakedperfect
-
has squeakedperfect
-
am squeakingprogressive
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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:
The Barn can host around 250 listeners; venues of this size often barely squeak by.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Still, the production design has imaginatively askew takes on the mundane: gridded jail cells, plodding space buses, clumsy oxygen suits that shimmy on with a satisfying squeak.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 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
"No reasonable consumer would purchase Defendant's shoes - or pay as much for them as they did - knowing each step creates an audible and noticeable squeak," the customers allege.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2025
The princess’s eyes popped, and her mouth dropped open, a small squeak echoing in her throat.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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
It’s very good, the new fake snow; it even squeaks when you walk on it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 25, 2022
“Breathe it out!” one dancer called out to several others as they roamed the stage amid the squeaks of sneakers and pounding stomps.
From New York Times ● Sep. 30, 2022
The vinyl squeaks as he takes a seat.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
Missile defense systems have intercepted the majority of missiles and drones, but those that have squeaked through are wreaking havoc External link.
From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026
He transformed a Brazil side who squeaked through qualifying into world beaters.
From BBC ● Mar. 3, 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
A Miami team that barely squeaked into the College Football Playoff now has a spot in the national championship game.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026
The door squeaked on its hinges, opening all the way.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
“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
“I was barefoot. It’s quiet. You don’t have your shoes squeaking on tiles and stuff,” he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2024
Auston Matthews scored 2:12 into overtime and the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Ducks on Wednesday night, squeaking by after taking 57 shots on goal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 4, 2024
The squeaking stopped and Esteban started talking again.
From "Harbor Me" by Jacqueline Woodson
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.
