Meanings
present singular third person squeezes · participle present squeezing · past squeezed · nonstandard past squoze · participle past squeezed · nonstandard participle past squoze · nonstandard participle past squozen
- ambitransitiveTo apply pressure (to something) from two or more sides at once.
I squeezed the ball between my hands.
3 more examples
Please don't squeeze the toothpaste tube in the middle.
"Over there—by the rock," Steele muttered, with his brush between his teeth, squeezing out raw sienna, and keeping his eyes fixed on Betty Flanders's back.
1922 October 26, Virginia Woolf, chapter I, in Jacob’s Room, Richmond, London: […] Leonard & Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, →OCLC; republished London: The Hogarth Press, 1960, →OCLC, page 6Start squeezing gently, without moving the bag at first (to form a wide base for the stem), then raise the bag as you squeeze. Continue to raise the bag after you’ve stopped squeezing, to form a tall point.
2010, Alice Medrich, “Piping Meringue Mushrooms”, in Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies, New York, N.Y.: Artisan, →ISBN, page 290Synonyms: compress
- ambitransitiveTo fit into a tight place.
Can you squeeze through that gap?
4 more examples
I managed to squeeze the car into that parking space.
I squeezed myself through the crowd.
It was an omen of things to come as in the 56th minute the visitors took the lead after a mix-up between Skrtel and Sotirios Kyrgiakos allowed Ebanks-Blake's through-ball to squeeze between them.
2010 December 29, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0 - 1 Wolverhampton”, in BBCCould he not squeeze under the seat of a carriage? He had seen this method adopted by schoolboys, when the journey- money provided by thoughtful parents had been diverted to other and better ends.
1908 October, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC - transitiveTo remove something with difficulty, or apparent difficulty.
He squeezed some money out of his wallet.
- intransitiveTo barely manage to.
I managed to squeeze through the exam with a D.
- transitiveTo put in a difficult position by presenting two or more choices.
I'm being squeezed between my job and my volunteer work.
1 more example
At a time when Mr. Cameron is being squeezed from both sides — from the right by members of his own party and by the anti-immigrant, anti-Europe U.K. Independence Party, and from the left by his Liberal Democrat coalition partners — the move seemed uncharacteristically clunky.
2013 May 23, Sarah Lyall, “British Leader’s Liberal Turn Sets Off a Rebellion in His Party”, in New York Times, retrieved 29 May 2013 - figurativelytransitiveTo oppress with hardships, burdens, or taxes; to harass.
a Civil War where People must expect to be crush'd and squeez'd in the Consequence
1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC2 more examples
However he lost out, as other business interests whom he had alienated by his efforts to squeeze every penny of profit from the canal, supported the construction of the railway.
2025 June 25, Christian Wolmar, “How slow boats gradually gave way to rail”, in RAIL, number 1038, page 57Germany’s export-oriented economy has also been slow to revive, squeezed by Donald Trump’s tariffs, cheap Chinese imports and high energy costs, despite a massive stimulus package to modernise the armed forces and renovate the country’s ageing infrastructure.
2026 September 3, Anne-Sylvaine Chassany, “Friedrich Merz sidelined as party fights far right in regional poll”, in Financial Times - transitiveball gamesTo attempt to score a runner from third by bunting.
Jones squeezed in Smith with a perfect bunt.
plural squeezes
- countableuncountableAn instance of squeezing.
to give something a squeeze
to squeeze something
1 more example
Dip your sponge into the water, tehn turn it over and dip it again. That gets both sides wet. Now give it a squeeze to get most of the water out—but not all of it! You'll get the feel of how much water you need in your sponge as you practice with the clay.
2016 October 10, Ann Pelo, The Language of Art: Inquiry-Based Studio Practices in Early Childhood Settings, Redleaf Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 98 - countablefigurativelyuncountableA difficult position.
I'm in a tight squeeze right now when it comes to my free time.
1 more example
There is a growing recognition that, as the population ages and the squeeze on NHS resources continues, better ways of supporting older people outside hospital need to be developed.
2016 June 30, Kate Murray, “How occupational therapists help keep older people out of hospital”, in The Guardian - countableslanguncountableA romantic partner.
I want to be your main squeeze.
4 more examples
“No, Mona. Her new squeeze is one of Wage's boys.”
1984, William Gibson, Neuromancer (Sprawl; book 1), New York, N.Y.: Ace Books, →ISBN, page 9He spent nights cruising queer bars near the pad, saw Wiltsie at the dives, but always in the company of his squeeze, a guy he called 'Duane.'
1988, James Ellroy, Dudley Smith Trio: The Big Nowhere, LA Confidential, White Jazz, Random House, →ISBN, page 459His young squeeze had just backed out and had not seen the assault on her “sugar daddy” when it happened!
2012, J. Lamar, Tip Tap Toe, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN, page 141But even considering that, he might have been a bit more restrained if he hadn't run into his former sexy squeeze, Penny Atieno.
2014, N. Lombardi Jr., Journey Towards a Falling Sun, John Hunt Publishing, →ISBN - countableslanguncountableAn illicit alcoholic drink made by squeezing Sterno through cheesecloth, etc., and mixing the result with fruit juice.
- countableuncountableball gamesThe act of bunting in an attempt to score a runner from third.
The game ended in exciting fashion with a failed squeeze.
- countableuncountablecavingA traversal of a narrow passage.
It was a tight squeeze, but I got through to the next section of the cave.
2 more examples
The most notorious squeezes have names: the Gun Barrel, Jam Crack, the Electric Armpit Crawl, Devil's Pinch.
2003, Barbara Hurd, “The Squeeze”, in Entering the Stone: On Caves and Feeling through the Dark, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Company, →ISBN, page 11Prior to going back out to Mystery Cave again we spent a lot of time preparing. We made a squeeze box, which is a wooden box the opening of which can be adjusted in size. We could then crawl through the opening and measure to see how tight of a squeeze we could fit through.
2016, Diego Rodriguez, The Caver: Dig ... But Not to Far, Munich: BookRix, →ISBN - countableuncountableA moulding, cast or other impression of an object, chiefly a design, inscription etc., especially by pressing wet paper onto the surface and peeling off when dry.
Nollekens, finding his wife always benefited by these visits, never refused White a squeeze of a patera, or any thing that would answer his purpose; […] White […] had turned his wine-cellars into manufactories for the produce of cast coins, and moderns squeezes from Roman lamps.
1828, JT Smith, Nollekens and His Times, Century Hutchinson, published 1986, page 65 - countableuncountablebusinessThe gradual closing of workings by the weight of the overlying strata.
- countabledateduncountableThe situation experienced by a middleman when pressured from both sides, especially financially.
Thus was established a powerful Chinese combination, which maintained itself by submitting to a heavy "squeeze" at the hands of the Viceroy and Governor of Canton on the one hand and of the Hoppo on the other.
1898, Archibald R. Colquhoun, China in Transformation, page 47 - countabledateduncountableA bribe, fee, or extortionary price paid to a middleman, especially in China; the practice of requiring such a bribe or fee.
They were no colonists; their administration was merely a squeeze, and nothing more, I suspect.
1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 1962 more examples
If the licence […] was costly, it secured to them uninterrupted and extraordinary pecuniary advantages; but on the other hand it subjected them to 'calls' or 'squeezes' for contributions to public works, […] for the relief of districts suffering from scarcity […] as well as for the often imaginary […] damage caused by the overflowing of the 'Yangtse Keang' or the 'Yellow River.'
1882, William C. Hunter, The "Fan Kwae" at Canton before treaty days 1825-1844The mattress shop had been bought with the proceeds of squeeze obtained by him from a former American employer.
1928, China Digest, volume 10, page 10 - UKcountableobsoleteslanguncountableA person's neck.
"Got his description putty close: Short black 'air, black whiskers, with a crips^([sic]) curl at the hedges; a white choker, tight round his squeeze; dressed in black, and orful hugly," remarked the policeman.
1860, The London Journal, page 146
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo apply pressure (to something) from two or more sides at once.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna state in which there is a short supply of cash to lend to businesses and consumers and interest rates are high
nounan aggressive attempt to compel acquiescence by the concentration or manipulation of power
verbto compress with violence, out of natural shape or condition
verbto cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englishcwȳsan“to crush, squeeze”
- Middle Englishqueisen“to squeeze”
- Englishsqueeze
From earlier squize, squise (whence also dialectal English squizzen and squeege), first attested around 1600, further origin uncertain; probably an alteration of quease (which is attested since 1550), from Middle English queisen (“to squeeze”), from Old English cwȳsan (“to crush, squeeze”), itself also of unknown origin, perhaps imitative (compare Swedish qväsa, kväsa (“to squeeze, bruise, crush; quell”), Dutch kwetsen (“to injure, hurt”), German quetschen (“to squeeze”)). Or, a blend of obsolete squiss (“to squeeze”) (whence also squash and squish) with quease. Compare also French esquicher from Old Occitan esquichar (“to press, squeeze”). The slang expression "to put the squeeze on (someone or something)", meaning "to exert influence", is from 1711. The baseball term "squeeze play" is first recorded 1905. "Main squeeze" ("most important person") is attested from 1896, the specific meaning "one's sweetheart, lover" is attested in 1970s. The nonstandard strong forms squoze and squozen, attested dialectally since at least the mid-19th century, are by analogy with freeze.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek πιέζω, θλίβω
- πιέζω (piézō)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- θλίβω (thlíbō)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Arabic عَصَرَ
- عَصَرَ (ʕaṣara)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Basque estutu
- estututo apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Bulgarian стискам, промушвам се
- стискам (stiskam)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- промушвам се (promušvam se)to fit into a tight place
- промушва се (promušva se)to fit into a tight place
- изстисквам (izstiskvam)to remove something with difficulty, or apparent difficulty
- затруднение (zatrudnenie)difficult position
- прегръдка (pregrădka)hug or other affectionate grasp
Catalan esprémer, estrènyer
- esprémerto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- estrènyerto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- serrarto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- apretarto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Chinese Mandarin 壓榨, 擠壓 /挤压
- 壓榨 (yāzhà)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- 擠壓 /挤压 (jǐyā)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- 擠 /挤 (jǐ)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- 捏 (niē)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- 壓榨 (yāzhà)to fit into a tight place
- 擠壓 /挤压 (jǐyā)to fit into a tight place
- 擠 /挤 (jǐ)to fit into a tight place
Czech zmáčknout, vmáčknout se
- zmáčknoutto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- vmáčknout seto fit into a tight place
Danish trykke, klemme
- trykketo apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- klemmeto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- presseto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- knugeto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- presseto fit into a tight place
- maseto fit into a tight place
- klemmeto fit into a tight place
- presseto put in a difficult position by presenting two or more choices
- klemmeto put in a difficult position by presenting two or more choices
- klemmedifficult position
- knushug or other affectionate grasp
- trangt stedcaving: traversal of a narrow passage
Dutch drukken, klemmen
- drukkento apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- klemmento apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- persento apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- knijpento apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- persento fit into a tight place
- drukkento fit into a tight place
Esperanto elpremi
- elpremito apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Finnish puristaa, ahtaa
- puristaato apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- ahtaato fit into a tight place
- puristaato remove something with difficulty, or apparent difficulty
- kaivaato remove something with difficulty, or apparent difficulty
- ahdistaato put in a difficult position by presenting two or more choices
- puristusdifficult position
- puristushug or other affectionate grasp
- rypistyscaving: traversal of a narrow passage
French presser, comprimer
- presserto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- comprimerto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- tasserto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- serrerto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- pressurerto remove something with difficulty, or apparent difficulty
German drücken, klemmen
- drückento apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- klemmento apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- pressento apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- quetschento apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- quetschento fit into a tight place
- zwängento fit into a tight place
- Klemmedifficult position
- Engpasscaving: traversal of a narrow passage
- Abklatschepigraphy: an impression of an inscription
Greek σφίγγω, ζουλώ
- σφίγγω (sfíngo)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- ζουλώ (zouló)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- στριμώχνω (strimóchno)to fit into a tight place
Hindi निचोड़ना, दबाना
- निचोड़ना (nicoṛnā)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- दबाना (dabānā)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Hungarian szorít, beprésel
- szorítto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- bepréselto fit into a tight place
- gyömöszölto fit into a tight place
- zsúfolto fit into a tight place
- kipréselto remove something with difficulty, or apparent difficulty
Icelandic þrýsta, kreista
- þrýstato apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- kreistato apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Indonesian remas, abklats
- remasto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- abklatsepigraphy: an impression of an inscription
- acuan kertasepigraphy: an impression of an inscription
Italian spremere, stringere
- spremereto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- stringereto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- serrareto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- strizzareto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- spremersito remove something with difficulty, or apparent difficulty
Japanese 押す, 締め付ける
- 押す (osu)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- 締め付ける (shimetsukeru)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- 絞る (shiboru)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- 搾る (shiboru)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- 絞る (shiboru)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- 押し込める (oshikomeru)to fit into a tight place
- 絞り出す (shiboridasu)to remove something with difficulty, or apparent difficulty
- 板挟みにあう (itabasami ni au)to put in a difficult position by presenting two or more choices
- スクイズする (sukuizu suru)baseball: to attempt to score a runner from third by bunting
- 板挟み (itabasami)difficult position
- 抱きしめ (dakishime)hug or other affectionate grasp
- ギュッとする (gyutto suru)hug or other affectionate grasp
- スクイズ (sukuizu)baseball: the act of bunting in an attempt to score a runner from third
- 拓本 (takuhon)epigraphy: an impression of an inscription
Korean 짜다, 스퀴즈하다
- 짜다 (jjada)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- 스퀴즈하다 (seukwijeuhada)baseball: to attempt to score a runner from third by bunting
- 스퀴즈 (seukwijeu)baseball: the act of bunting in an attempt to score a runner from third
Latin comprimō, constringō
- comprimōto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- constringōto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Lithuanian spausti, suspausti
- spaustito apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- suspaustito apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Māori rami, whakawhetē
- ramito apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- whakawhetēto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- kotēto remove something with difficulty, or apparent difficulty
Norwegian trykke, klemme
- trykketo apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- klemmeto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- presseto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- kvesteto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- knuseto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Norwegian Bokmål skvise
- skviseto fit into a tight place
Polish ściskać, ścisnąć
- ściskaćto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- ścisnąćto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Portuguese espremer, apertar
- espremerto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- apertarto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- espremerto fit into a tight place
- apertodifficult position
- apurodifficult position
- ficanteslang: a romantic partner
Romanian strânge, stoarce
- strângeto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- stoarceto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Russian сжима́ть, сжать
- сжима́ть (sžimátʹ)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- сжать (sžatʹ)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- сда́вливать (sdávlivatʹ)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- сдави́ть (sdavítʹ)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- сти́скивать (stískivatʹ)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- сти́снуть (stísnutʹ)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- вти́скивать (vtískivatʹ)to fit into a tight place
- вти́снуть (vtísnutʹ)to fit into a tight place
- впи́хивать (vpíxivatʹ)to fit into a tight place
- впихну́ть (vpixnútʹ)to fit into a tight place
- выжима́ть (vyžimátʹ)to remove something with difficulty, or apparent difficulty
- вы́жать (výžatʹ)to remove something with difficulty, or apparent difficulty
- пожа́тие (požátije)hug or other affectionate grasp
Slovak stisnúť
- stisnúťto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Spanish exprimir, apretar
- exprimirto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- apretarto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- apremirto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- espicharto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- despicharto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- apañuscarto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- apretujarto fit into a tight place
- escolarto fit into a tight place
- escolarseto fit into a tight place
- apurodifficult position
- crisisdifficult position
Swedish trycka, klämma
- tryckato apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- klämmato apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- kramato apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- klämmato fit into a tight place
- trängato fit into a tight place
- lirkato remove something with difficulty, or apparent difficulty
- slitato remove something with difficulty, or apparent difficulty
- drato put in a difficult position by presenting two or more choices
- slitato put in a difficult position by presenting two or more choices
- klämdifficult position
- knipadifficult position
- kramhug or other affectionate grasp
- klapphug or other affectionate grasp
Tamil பிழி
- பிழி (piḻi)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Thai บีบ
- บีบ (bìip)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Turkish sıkmak, sıkıştırmak
- sıkmakto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- sıkıştırmakto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Ukrainian стиска́ти, сти́скувати
- стиска́ти (styskáty)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- сти́скувати (stýskuvaty)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- сти́снути (stýsnuty)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- ти́снути (týsnuty)to apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Vietnamese đè, bóp
- đèto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- bópto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
- épto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Welsh gwasgu
- gwasguto apply pressure to from two or more sides at once
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with squeeze
Cite this entry
squeeze. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/squeeze
“squeeze.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/squeeze. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “squeeze,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/squeeze.
Source: squeeze on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.