tight squeeze

Idioms  

1. A difficulty caused by too little time or space, or too little credit or funds. For example, It will be a tight squeeze to get there on time, or I don't know if the sofa will go through the door; it's a tight squeeze, or The company's in a tight squeeze because of poor cash flow. This idiom uses tight in the sense of “too narrow or constricted.” [c. 1900]

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Example Sentences

Even the roomiest home might be a tight squeeze.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 2026

The family and their three dogs had to stay with Catherine's parents, which was a tight squeeze.

From BBC • Aug. 21, 2024

Though he appreciated playing in a historic stadium, Ferentz wasn’t thrilled with some of the logistics, such as sharing a sideline and a tight squeeze in some spots with the brick wall.

From Washington Times • Nov. 4, 2023

Williams said it was a tight squeeze between the out-of-bounds line and his sneakers in the morning session.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 3, 2023

The camp grew so large that the controllers staggered our schedules, so we ate by color and gender—and even then, it was still a tight squeeze fitting everyone at the tables.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

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