pinched 1 of 2

pinched

2 of 2

verb

past tense of pinch
1
as in nipped
to squeeze tightly between two surfaces, edges, or points the zipper on those jeans always pinches me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4

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 pinched
Verb
Workers have been frantically building an emergency revetment — placing rocks on the coast to armor the shoreline against the waves — to shore up the roadway, located on a narrow strip of coastline pinched between the ocean and a cliff. Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 On the final play of the first quarter of Saturday’s preseason opener, backup quarterback Kyle Allen scrambled left and got pinched off near the sideline. Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026 Nerves are effectively long cables running from the spinal cord out to the skin and muscles, and like any cable, they can be pinched. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 Many teachers and residents across the county are feeling pinched by Johnson County’s rising costs of living. Taylor O'Connor 15, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2026 But the chairman also acknowledged how consumers are feeling pinched by years of high inflation. Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 14 July 2026 This decline has pinched profit margins in the 401(k) world, said Kai Richter, an attorney with Cohen Milstein who has long specialized in ERISA class-action cases. Paul Kiel, ProPublica, 8 July 2026 My thumb and index finger pinched together to grab a dime, while my middle finger reached farther to pick up coins that had rolled under the edge of a cabinet. Steven Lautzenheiser, The Conversation, 6 July 2026 Paintings of Rush made in his lifetime depicted a man with flat hair and long, pinched features. Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinched
Adjective
  • Inadequate planting holes or wrong-sized containers cause plants to wilt and may result in damaged foliage and reduced flowering.
    Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Summary Several investor rights firms are threatening class actions against into Suja Life after its stock plummeted following disappointing Q2 earnings and reduced guidance, attributed to grocery channel weakness.
    Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • As her pregnancy progressed, Kabita’s belly swelled while the rest of her remained gaunt.
    ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • On the first day of the hearing, July 22, Salah Sarsour's brother, Mohammad Sarsour, testified that his brother appeared gaunt and dirty and complained of pain and inadequate medical care during his detention in an Israeli jail.
    CBS News, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Cristopher Sanchez worked six effective innings to become the majors’ first 16-game winner as the Philadelphia Phillies nipped the visiting Miami Marlins 6-5 on Monday.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The Stars attempted to deal Robertson to the Kraken, but Robertson nipped that in the bud.
    Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Verb
  • Last month, burglars stole millions of dollars worth of jewelry from the museum of French luxury glassmaker Lalique in a daring early morning raid.
    CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Smith allegedly stole the mother’s vehicle and left the home with the child.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • But her condition has deteriorated significantly in the months since she was first arrested in Miami-Dade County on May 5 and booked on a misdemeanor battery charge.
    Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Weatherall was arrested in connection with the incident, per the outlet, Fox Carolina and Greenville County public arrest records.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Evidence on price caps Researchers found that after two years under the price limit, Oregon saved over $107 million and outpatient prices per procedure fell by 25%.
    Alex Olgin, NPR, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Overall, more than 250 million people globally received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, while COVID vaccinations as a whole are estimated to have saved at least 14 million lives in the first year of their rollout alone.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The dispute creates a wrinkle in Google’s effort to turn the remains of the bankrupt airline into fuel for its AI ambitions.
    Joshua Hong, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Major League Baseball is monitoring the situation, weighing potential damage to its brand as fans recall how league pressure forced Frank McCourt to sell the then-bankrupt Dodgers in 2012.
    Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Xbox, despite its increasingly haggard reputation, has announced backwards compatibility for PC.
    Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Rocking back and forth nervously during a television appearance, a haggard-looking Diaz-Canel acknowledged the same talks, which his government had denied were taking place just days before.
    Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pinched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinched. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster