squeaky
Americanadjective
-
squeakier,
comparative
-
squeakiest
superlative
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of squeaky
Explanation
If your voice is squeaky, it's high and a little shrill, like a cartoon character. If your shoes sound squeaky when you walk, you'll never be able to sneak up on someone. It's hard for people to take you seriously if you always sound a little squeaky when you talk. Squishy, noise-making dog toys are squeaky, and so is Mickey Mouse's voice, as well as the rusty hinge on an old treasure chest. If something's squeaky clean, it's so immaculate that it squeaks a little — this phrase probably started in the 1970s in advertisements for dishwashing soap.
Vocabulary lists containing squeaky
"Raymond's Run"
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Fish in a Tree
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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:
Because it’s true, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
“It’s always the squeaky wheel that gets the grease,” McCullough said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
You have to actively press your case, and sometimes you have to be a squeaky wheel.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
During the show's five years on-screen, Miley Cyrus' public image became more provocative, causing concerns at the time due to the contrast with Hannah's squeaky clean vibe.
From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026
Barely containing his appetite, he inched forward, making a little squeaky crying sound.
From "The Old Willis Place" by Mary Downing Hahn
Break in the basketball season at your local outdoor court before the cold sends you inside to squeakier, less-fresh-smelling courts.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 26, 2018
Once I tried yelling my instructions in a much higher, squeakier voice than my team-mates – and they were much more likely to be obeyed.
From The Guardian ● May 20, 2013
Then she tried making a peep or two, and Janet’s chirps were even higher and squeakier than Nick’s.
From "Frindle" by Andrew Clements
Her voice was higher and squeakier than normal.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
My voice was much squeakier back then, like a cheese curd.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
Families often end up back in the position where they need an elder-law attorney who knows their way around Medicaid recovery procedures, because they can be the squeakiest wheels.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
“The few content moderators left are going to be focused on Europe, because Europe is the squeakiest wheel.”
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 13, 2022
So the result in this squeakiest of seats will answer a lot of questions about this election.
From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2019
“There’s definitely too many movies out there now, and there’s a divide between the haves and the have-nots. Unless you’re the squeakiest wheel out there, it’s going to be hard to get noticed.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 16, 2017
While Ashley I. is the squeakiest wheel, Kaitlyn’s Costco date is looking especially shabby right now.
From Time ● Jan. 26, 2015
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
