squeeze
4 ENTRIES FOUND:
squeezes;
squeezed;
squeezing
squeezes;
squeezed;
squeezing
Britannica Dictionary definition of SQUEEZE
1
:
to press together the parts and especially the opposite sides of (something)
[+ object]
-
Squeeze the bottle/tube.
-
He lightly squeezed her hand and smiled.
-
Gently squeeze the fruit to see if it's ripe.
-
She squeezed her eyes shut. [=she closed her eyes very tightly]
[no object]
-
Hold it securely but don't squeeze too hard.
2
always followed by an adverb or preposition,
[+ object]
:
to get or remove (something) by squeezing something
— sometimes used figuratively
-
He squeezed the juice from the orange.
-
She squeezed out some ketchup. = She squeezed some ketchup out.
-
freshly squeezed orange juice
-
They can't squeeze much more money out of the business.
3
[+ object]
:
to pull back on (a gun's trigger) with your finger
—
see also squeeze off (below)
-
He took aim and squeezed [=pulled] the trigger.
4
always followed by an adverb or preposition
:
to move into or through a small or crowded space
[no object]
-
We had to squeeze past/by the people in the aisles.
-
trying to squeeze into tight jeans
-
The cat squeezed through the opening.
-
We all squeezed into the elevator.
-
(Brit) Squeeze up [=move closer together], please. We need to make room for one more person.
[+ object]
-
We can squeeze one more person in the back seat.
-
The instructor squeezed a lot of information into one week.
-
We were all squeezed [=squashed] into the elevator.
5
[+ object]
:
to barely succeed at getting or doing (something)
— often + out
-
The police squeezed a confession from her.
-
The team squeezed out a victory.
-
The police squeezed a confession out of her.
6
[+ object]
a
:
to decrease the amount of (something, such as money)
-
Rising costs have squeezed profits.
b
:
to cause financial problems for (a business or organization)
-
The availability of music on the Internet has squeezed the record industry.
c
informal
:
to force (someone) to give you something or to do something by using threats or pressure
-
The banks are squeezing them for more money.
-
She tried to squeeze me for $100.
squeeze in
[phrasal verb]
squeeze (someone or something) in
or
squeeze in (someone or something)
:
to find time for (someone or something)
-
I can try to squeeze you in after my one o'clock appointment.
-
The teacher tried to squeeze in a few more lessons before school vacation.
squeeze off
[phrasal verb]
squeeze off (a round)
:
to fire (a shot) by squeezing the trigger of a gun
-
He quickly squeezed off four rounds.
squeeze out
[phrasal verb]
squeeze out (someone or something)
or
squeeze (someone or something) out
:
to force (someone or something) out of a position, place, etc.
-
The city's low-income residents have been squeezed out [=have been forced to leave their homes] by rising real estate prices.
-
These big stores have squeezed out a lot of the smaller locally owned shops.
2
squeeze
/ˈskwiːz/
noun
plural
squeezes
2
squeeze
/ˈskwiːz/
noun
plural
squeezes
Britannica Dictionary definition of SQUEEZE
1
[singular]
:
a situation in which people or things are crowded together
-
Fifty guests will be a bit of a squeeze.
-
It'll be a tight squeeze, but we can all fit.
2
[count]
:
an act of squeezing something
— usually singular
-
He gave the bottle a good squeeze.
-
She gave his hand a squeeze. [=she squeezed his hand]
3
[count]
:
a small amount that is gotten or removed from something (such as a piece of fruit) by squeezing it
— often + of
-
a squeeze of lemon/lime
4
a
[count]
:
a situation in which there is not enough of something
— usually singular
-
There is a serious housing squeeze [=shortage] in the city. [=there are not enough houses, apartments, etc., available]
-
a credit squeeze [=a situation in which it is difficult for people, companies, etc., to get credit]
b
the squeeze
informal
:
a situation that causes feelings of stress and pressure
-
We are really feeling the squeeze since I lost my job.
-
The government is putting the squeeze on tax evaders.
5
[noncount]
chiefly US slang
:
a romantic partner
:
a boyfriend or girlfriend
-
So who's your current squeeze?
-
She's my main squeeze.
