1
2
as in arrest
the act of taking into one's control by authority of law
an innocent person caught up in a city-wide pinch of drug dealers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
this labor pinch means that there'll be long lines at the checkouts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in to steal
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep
pinched the earrings while the boutique owner was distracted by another customer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to arrest
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law
pinched the purse snatcher just two blocks from where he had robbed the old lady
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to save
to avoid unnecessary waste or expense
if we pinch hard for the upcoming year, we can probably afford the vacation at that fancy resort
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in extra
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of pinch
Susan Slusser, SFChronicle.com, 26 Sep. 2020
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The bad news on health insurance comes as consumers face an overall economic pinch.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025
That could have squashed any chances of a late rally, but Carlos Narvaez drew a walk and pinch runner Ceddanne Rafaela came around to score from first on Refsnyder’s double into the left field gap.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pinch
Noun
Pinch runner Tony Kemp was then stranded at third, emblematic of Oakland’s offensive frustrations, as Ramón Laureano struck out, Canha walked, Olson popped up and pinch-hitter Robbie Grossman struck out against Casey Sadler.
—Susan Slusser, SFChronicle.com, 26 Sep. 2020
Verb
In 25 previous plate appearances as a pinch-hitter, the big blast had eluded Duran.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The bad news on health insurance comes as consumers face an overall economic pinch.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Chinese consumers have even reported an increase in finger injuries as they get trapped or pinched.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025
That could have squashed any chances of a late rally, but Carlos Narvaez drew a walk and pinch runner Ceddanne Rafaela came around to score from first on Refsnyder’s double into the left field gap.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pinch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinch
Noun
-
American officials have alleged that North Korea is engaged in a long-running effort to use cyberattacks, cryptocurrency theft and IT contractors to gather information on behalf of the government in Pyongyang.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Young Peter survived by theft and by begging.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Just this morning, DHS took violent offenders off the streets with arrests for assault, DUI, and felony stalking.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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That led to additional arrests, all while ICE was opening additional immigrant detention sites in Florida, Indiana, Nebraska, Louisiana, and Tennessee.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But in the Midwest and the Northeast, where the housing shortage remains most acute, prices have kept high.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Developers face rising costs, labor shortages, and supply constraints.—
Maurice Obeid,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Lift the wiper arms gently and make sure they're held firmly in place.—
Keenan Thompson,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
-
And the timing of Williams’ recent improvement may represent a good sign for the Yankees, who are still holding onto a glimmer of hope of winning the AL East while attempting to secure the first wild-card spot and homefield advantage.—
Larry Fleisher,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
How can someone steal from you and simply get away with it?—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Two innings later, Martin singled, stole second base and eventually scored the winning run in a ninth-inning comeback victory.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Plus, grab knife sets and a nifty electric can opener to streamline your cooking.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
16 Sep. 2025
-
As Jey checked on Jimmy, LA Knight grabbed the steel chair and teased hitting Jey Uso.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Biglari’s core demands were to stop opening new stores entirely, eliminate the development team to save money, and focus exclusively on improving existing store operations rather than expansion.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
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One paper in August estimates that Covid vaccines saved more than 2 million lives, mostly among older adults, worldwide between 2020 and October 2024.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Try one of Nour Hammour’s shearling options—the Carolyn is a classic silhouette for the brand—or opt a reversible option from Diane Von Furstenberg or Lafayette 148 for extra warmth and versatility.—
Andrea Zendejas,
Vogue,
16 Sep. 2025
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Similar to an in-office treatment, step one is a trio of extra-strength exfoliating acids (lactic, glycolic, and mandelic), and step two is a clay mask to simultaneously neutralize the acids and deep clean the skin.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinch. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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