squeeze

squeeze1 [ skwiz ] verb **

1. ) intransitive or transitive to press something firmly, especially with your hands:

Ruth smiled, squeezing his hand affectionately.

I took a firm grip and squeezed tightly, but nothing happened.

Kara squeezed the bottle, and the water rushed out.

a ) transitive to press something such as a liquid out of something:

She squeezed some cream onto her hands.

freshly-squeezed orange juice

2. ) intransitive to get through or into a small space:

He had squeezed through a hole in the fence.

She squeezed past the desk and sat on the bed.

Passengers were trying to squeeze onto the bus.

a ) transitive to fit or move something into a small space:

We can only squeeze one more thing into the bag.

The letters were squeezed together so you could hardly read them.

3. ) transitive to make someone have financial trouble, for example by raising prices, cutting a supply of money, or increasing competition:

Supermarkets are accused of squeezing both customers and suppliers.

Education is often the first to be squeezed at a time of cuts.

4. ) transitive if you squeeze your eyes shut, you close them tightly

,squeeze `in phrasal verb transitive

to be able to do something, even though you do not have much time:

I can squeeze a meeting in early tomorrow morning.

Nevin squeezed in a third goal just before the end of the game.

,squeeze `out phrasal verb transitive

1. ) if one business or part of a system squeezes out another, the first one becomes so important or successful that the other cannot succeed or continue to exist:

The company tried hard to squeeze out competitors and raise prices.

Music instruction is slowly being squeezed out of the curriculum.

2. ) squeeze something out of someone to make someone tell you something even though they do not want to:

They made one final attempt to squeeze concessions out of us.

squeeze

squeeze 2 [ skwiz ] noun

▸ 1 action of squeezing

▸ 2 small amount

▸ 3 someone/something in small space

▸ 4 strict control on something

▸ 5 boyfriend/girlfriend

1. ) count the action of squeezing something:

He gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze.

2. ) count a small amount of something that is squeezed out of something:

a squeeze of lemon juice

3. ) singular a situation in which a lot of people or things are squeezed into a space:

It was a squeeze to get everyone into the car.

4. ) singular a situation in which there is strict control over money or goods:

a squeeze on costs/profits/wages

put a/the squeeze on someone/something: The government's putting the squeeze on business profits.

feel the squeeze: The economy is said to be improving, but many of us are still feeling the squeeze.

5. ) count AMERICAN INFORMAL a boyfriend or girlfriend