1
2
as in arrests
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 lacks
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 steals
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 seizes
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 saves
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pinches
Literary Hub, 24 Nov. 2025
There’s the moment Stanton’s Håkon Werle pinches the back of his son’s neck, like a cruel master bringing his dog to heel.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2025
For Spraggins’ colleague, Josie Wheeler — who still sometimes pinches herself at going from bartending to meetings with nuclear power plant operators — Accenture is a lifetime commitment.
—Andy Tonsing, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
This pinches the space between them so only the high-k dielectric completely surrounds them.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Dec. 2017
Verb
Dad pinches my cheek between his first two fingers with a soppy look in his eyes.
—Literary Hub, 24 Nov. 2025
There’s the moment Stanton’s Håkon Werle pinches the back of his son’s neck, like a cruel master bringing his dog to heel.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2025
For Spraggins’ colleague, Josie Wheeler — who still sometimes pinches herself at going from bartending to meetings with nuclear power plant operators — Accenture is a lifetime commitment.
—Andy Tonsing, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
This pinches the space between them so only the high-k dielectric completely surrounds them.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Dec. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinches
Noun
-
There have even been reports of smash-and-grab thefts of stores that stock cards.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
-
Certain areas in South Florida have a history of break-ins at storage units, resulting in costly thefts and vandalism.—
Kody Boye,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
These are the services that reduce harm and support reintegration, unlike arrests that only deepen instability.—
Shianne LeClaire,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
-
Police and fans were injured in the melee, and several arrests were made.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Ford’s freedom or constraints, his prejudices or lacks, gauge his moment and ours.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Dipping into 2027 draft capital to make a fifth-round selection in a draft that Schneider has repeatedly said lacks depth is a surprising move.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His life is both ordinary and extraordinary, and the storytelling holds those seeming opposites in pleasing tension.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
-
Your phone holds your email, passwords, photos, banking apps and personal data.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Some believe Benjamin Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be the national bird because the eagle steals food from other birds, but Kochersperger said that’s a myth.—
Sarah Raza,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
-
When a ruthless despot steals a billion-dollar fortune, the team is sent to steal it back on what would be for anyone else a suicide mission.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Dean seizes the moment to confess his feelings for Allie, hoping to turn their friends-with-benefits arrangement into something more.—
Nasha Smith,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
The chef Brooks Headley seizes the day every day, showing us that vegetables are canny, capricious characters, capable of anything.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The child is strong in the Force and saves Din by levitating a creature that was about to kill him.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
-
Étienne, however, never forgets his first tussle in the woods with Bartosz (Julian Swiezewski), a Polish trucker who saves his lover’s skin when the cops show up to arrest them and other men for indecent behavior.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
The many Fed Ex points (700) up for grabs that weekend?—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
14 May 2026
-
And LePage’s race in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, as well as House races overall, offers a good laboratory for Vance’s style of politics — there’s even an electoral vote in the state up for grabs in 2028.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pinches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinches. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
