(~s, squeezing, ~d)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
If you ~ something, you press it firmly, usually with your hands.
He ~d her arm reassuringly...
Dip the bread briefly in water, then ~ it dry.
VERB: V n, V n adj
•
Squeeze is also a noun.
I liked her way of reassuring you with a ~ of the hand.
N-COUNT: usu sing
2.
If you ~ 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 ~d some detergent over the dishes.
...freshly ~d lemon juice.
VERB: V n prep, V-ed
3.
If you ~ your eyes shut or if your eyes ~ shut, you close them tightly, usually because you are frightened or to protect your eyes from something such as strong sunlight.
Nancy ~d her eyes shut and prayed...
If you keep your eyes ~d shut, you’ll miss the show...
VERB: V n adj, V adj
4.
If you ~ a person or thing somewhere or if they ~ there, they manage to get through or into a small space.
They lowered him gradually into the cockpit. Somehow they ~d him in the tight space, and strapped him in...
Many break-ins are carried out by youngsters who can ~ through tiny windows.
VERB: V n prep/adv, V prep/adv
5.
If you say that getting a number of people into a small space is a ~, you mean that it is only just possible for them all to get into it. (INFORMAL)
It was a ~ in the car with five of them...
= squash
N-SING: a N
6.
If you ~ 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...
VERB: V n from/out of
7.
If a government ~s 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 ~ the economy into a severe recession to force inflation down...
VERB: V n
•
Squeeze is also a noun.
The CBI also says the ~ is slowing down inflation.
N-SING
8.
Someone’s ~ is their boyfriend or girlfriend. (INFORMAL JOURNALISM)
Jack showed off his latest ~ at the weekend.
N-COUNT