squeeze (squeezes plural & 3rd person present) (squeezing present participle) (squeezed past tense & past participle )
1 verb If you squeeze something, you press it firmly, usually with your hands.
He squeezed her arm reassuringly... V n
Dip the bread briefly in water, then squeeze it dry. V n adj
Squeeze is also a noun., n-count usu sing
I liked her way of reassuring you with a squeeze of the hand.
2 verb If you squeeze a liquid or a soft substance out of an object, you get the liquid or substance out by pressing the object.
Joe put the plug in the sink and squeezed some detergent over the dishes. V n prep
...freshly squeezed lemon juice. V-ed
3 verb If you squeeze your eyes shut or if your eyes squeeze shut, you close them tightly, usually because you are frightened or to protect your eyes from something such as strong sunlight.
Nancy squeezed her eyes shut and prayed... V n adj
If you keep your eyes squeezed shut, you'll miss the show... V adj
4 verb If you squeeze a person or thing somewhere or if they squeeze there, they manage to get through or into a small space.
They lowered him gradually into the cockpit. Somehow they squeezed him in the tight space, and strapped him in... V n prep/adv
Many break-ins are carried out by youngsters who can squeeze through tiny windows. V prep/adv
5 n-sing If you say that getting a number of people into a small space is a squeeze, you mean that it is only just possible for them all to get into it.
INFORMAL a N
(=squash)
It was a squeeze in the car with five of them...
6 verb If you squeeze something out of someone, you persuade them to give it to you, although they may be unwilling to do this.
The investigators complained about the difficulties of squeezing information out of residents... V n from/out of
7 verb If a government squeezes the economy, they put strict controls on people's ability to borrow money or on their own departments' freedom to spend money, in order to control the country's rate of inflation.
The government will squeeze the economy into a severe recession to force inflation down... V n
Squeeze is also a noun., n-sing
The CBI also says the squeeze is slowing down inflation.
8 n-count Someone's squeeze is their boyfriend or girlfriend.
INFORMAL, JOURNALISM Jack showed off his latest squeeze at the weekend. squeeze out phrasal verb If a person or thing is squeezed out, they are no longer included in something that they were previously involved in.
usu passive
Other directors appear happy that Lord Hollick has been squeezed out... be V-ed P
Latin and Greek will be squeezed out of school timetables. be V-ed P of n
