1
as in reduced
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2
as in gaunt
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
2
as in stole
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep
pinched the earrings while the boutique owner was distracted by another customer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in arrested
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in saved
to avoid unnecessary waste or expense
if we pinch hard for the upcoming year, we can probably afford the vacation at that fancy resort
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pinched
Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
The strap is pinched at the center and features two open slits on each side.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 26 Jan. 2026
Worse too, rivals Rangers also pinched their second spot in the Scottish Premiership.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
The first set, from 1912 to 1915, shows Schjerfbeck in her fifties, her face milk white, her lips pinched and stern.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Martin advises that young plants can be pinched back for fuller growth although that will delay flowering a bit.
—Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 18 Jan. 2026
Local handset makers are getting pinched by high memory prices.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2026
The result has been a large share of households whose budgets are pinched by higher costs.
—Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2026
Sliding rents and soaring construction costs have pinched developers, Brending said, stalling at least three large-scale projects in the State Street district.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
The sprint to build these sprawling facilities, which hold racks of humming servers powered by expensive processors, has touched off an unprecedented level of borrowing, pinched energy supplies and brought developers into conflict with communities worried about rising power and water costs.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
The strap is pinched at the center and features two open slits on each side.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 26 Jan. 2026
Worse too, rivals Rangers also pinched their second spot in the Scottish Premiership.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
The first set, from 1912 to 1915, shows Schjerfbeck in her fifties, her face milk white, her lips pinched and stern.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Martin advises that young plants can be pinched back for fuller growth although that will delay flowering a bit.
—Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 18 Jan. 2026
Local handset makers are getting pinched by high memory prices.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2026
The result has been a large share of households whose budgets are pinched by higher costs.
—Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2026
Sliding rents and soaring construction costs have pinched developers, Brending said, stalling at least three large-scale projects in the State Street district.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinched
Adjective
-
That’s because reduced fluid intake can temporarily shrink brain tissue—particularly the parts of the brain that regulate pain—while also affecting electrolyte balance.—
Katharine Gammon,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Complete rest, when it isn’t warranted, can lead to stiffness, strength loss and reduced coordination.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Nitibhon, a Thai supermodel, plays her tycoon as comically drab, keeping her gaunt cheeks slack to emphasize her character’s hollowness.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Regina was standing by the window now, looking even more gaunt under the artificial light of the bulb behind her and the faint glow of the sunrise in front, which barely managed to filter through the balcony awning.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This could easily have been nipped in the bud had Brook confessed to what had happened before the third ODI in Wellington, rather than halfway through the game itself, and then immediately been suspended just for that game by England.—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Mercedes pulled the wraps off the 2027 S500 4Matic, S580 4Matic, and S580e 4Matic today, heralding a not completely new, but largely refreshed, nipped, and tucked version of the German automaker’s flagship sedan.—
Jerry Perez,
The Drive,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Thieves stole $40,000 worth of handmade puppets, props and merchandise from outside a Hollywood Hills home.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
On March 18, 1990, two men posing as police officers stole 13 artworks valued at over $500 million from the museum in what is considered the largest unsolved art heist in modern history.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The men ran into an apartment and eventually were arrested.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
As the situation remains fraught in Iran, and with several opposition politicians arrested just this week, Vogue speaks to three Iranian designers on why their home country needs our support right now.—
Emily Chan,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But what saved the boys in the end was planning—and a whole lot of daring.—
Emilee Coblentz,
Outside,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The minus-14 defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs, that were the second worst among 31 catchers with at least 600 innings caught.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
No one’s going to want to watch a haggard perimenopausal woman who’s badly lit.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Now, the film is a downright classic, centering on three haggard witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy) who go on a hilarious misadventure while trying to remain young forever.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.—
Daniel S. Levine,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pinched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinched. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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