as in squeeze
the act or process of reducing the size or volume of something by or as if by pressing
the tight squeezing of his hands on hers made her face turn red
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in crushing
to apply external pressure on so as to force out the juice or contents of
kept squeezing the bottle until the ketchup squirted all over the table
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in cramming
to fit (people or things) into a tight space
I think we can squeeze a bit more into the washing machine
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in earning
to get with great difficulty
managed to squeeze a living by cleaning houses
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in compressing
to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together
squeezed the blanket until it fit into the box
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in plucking
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
the mob squeezes all the local merchants by threatening violence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squeezing
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025
Anniek Bao, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
For generations, Americans who wanted orange juice without the work of squeezing fresh fruit cracked open a can and watched a cylinder of frozen juice go ker-plunk into a pitcher.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
With that, Shaboozey broke down, squeezing the bridge of his nose to suppress tears.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 2 Feb. 2026
Pull upward, squeezing the lat muscle in your upper back at the top.
—Will Stone, NPR, 31 Jan. 2026
Fresh spinach requires large quantities and multiple steps—blanching, shocking, and squeezing—just to yield a usable amount.
—Amber Love Bond, Southern Living, 29 Jan. 2026
The bus ended up completely packed, everyone squeezing together in their parkas like a bunch of marshmallows.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Trump has tried to extract billions of dollars from universities and has succeeded in squeezing more than $400 million from four of them — Brown, Columbia, Cornell and Northwestern — for purposes of his choosing.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
These compressors run 24/7 and hot, shedding two thirds of their power as heat to nowhere, but potentially useful for squeezing water from thin air.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Noun
Hassan’s team instead squeezed a photon’s intensity and demonstrated real-time control, fluctuating between intensity and phase-squeezing by adjusting the silica’s position relative to the beams.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
The solar sector has been grappling with a prolonged price slump and oversupply, squeezing margins even as leading producers continue to add capacity.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
For generations, Americans who wanted orange juice without the work of squeezing fresh fruit cracked open a can and watched a cylinder of frozen juice go ker-plunk into a pitcher.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
With that, Shaboozey broke down, squeezing the bridge of his nose to suppress tears.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 2 Feb. 2026
Pull upward, squeezing the lat muscle in your upper back at the top.
—Will Stone, NPR, 31 Jan. 2026
Fresh spinach requires large quantities and multiple steps—blanching, shocking, and squeezing—just to yield a usable amount.
—Amber Love Bond, Southern Living, 29 Jan. 2026
The bus ended up completely packed, everyone squeezing together in their parkas like a bunch of marshmallows.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Trump has tried to extract billions of dollars from universities and has succeeded in squeezing more than $400 million from four of them — Brown, Columbia, Cornell and Northwestern — for purposes of his choosing.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
These compressors run 24/7 and hot, shedding two thirds of their power as heat to nowhere, but potentially useful for squeezing water from thin air.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squeezing
Noun
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Season simply with salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
7 Feb. 2026
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What was once a slow squeeze has become an acute system failure for patients statewide.—
Andrew Hevesi,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For a fraction of the cost of private colleges — and often far less than out-of-state public universities — CSU offers students a genuine opportunity to build skills, and increase lifetime earnings without crushing debt.—
Andrea Mays,
Oc Register,
8 Feb. 2026
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Watts on Tuesday also highlighted a September 2025 incident in which a worker suffered a crushing injury inside a tunnel after being pinned between two 4,000-foot pipes.—
Jessica Hill,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Each story unfolds at a rapid pace, bouncing between provocative shots of eccentric people and cramming two distinct sets of warring neighbors into each half-hour episode.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
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With the current contact period, during which coaches can visit recruits, ending Saturday and the following period not starting until mid-April, his team was busy booking charter flights and cramming seven days' worth of visits into four or five days.—
Doug Gollan,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Liu surprised fans when retiring a month after earning a bronze medal at the ‘22 World Championships.—
Elliott Almond,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Indiana Senate passes under-the-radar provision scrapping 'low-earning' college degrees.—
Evan Frank,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Instead of compressing observations into still images, RIMS preserves time-dependent information and separates radio signals by direction.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Feb. 2026
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Such tests could be used in research toward compressing a core of uranium with explosives — something that is needed for an implosion-style nuclear weapon.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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According to its website, Butcher & Singer is an homage to the glitz and class of 1940s Hollywood, reaching into the past, plucking the best and brightest aspects of a bygone era.—
Courtney Cherry,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
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The Bills scooped up a second Broncos assistant in as many days, plucking Jim Leonhard to lead Joe Brady’s defense.—
Torrey Hart,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Wiener is also pushing new legislation — called the No Kings Act — that would allow people in California to sue federal agents for violating their rights.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
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Home prices and mortgage rates have soared over the past several years, pushing home ownership out of reach for many Americans.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The three compressions are Spanxsmooth Swim, which is light compression for barely there smoothing; Spanxshape Swim, medium compression for a little more tummy control and shaping, and Spanxsculpt Swim, strong compression that cinches and snatches.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
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The subtle compression feels supportive without being restrictive, making long flights and layovers way more comfortable.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squeezing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squeezing. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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