pinched; pinching; pinches
1
a
: to squeeze between the finger and thumb or between the jaws of an instrument
b
: to prune the tip of (a plant or shoot) usually to induce branching
c
: to squeeze or compress painfully
d
: to cause physical or mental pain to
e(1)
: to cause to appear thin, haggard, or shrunken
(2)
: to cause to shrivel or wither
4
: to sail too close to the wind
2
: to be miserly or closefisted
3
: to press painfully
2
3
: a marked thinning of a vein or bed
1
: substitute
pinch runner
2
: hit by a pinch hitter
a pinch homer
Synonyms
Examples of pinch in a Sentence
Verb
My little brother is always trying to pinch me.
He pinched her cheeks and told her how cute she was.
Pinch together the edges of the dough.
He pinched the top of his nose to stop the bleeding and leaned forward.
He pinched off the top of the shoots.
She pinched back the new growth.
These new shoes are pinching my toes.
I pinched my fingers in the door.
By pinching and scraping, she managed to save enough money to buy a new car.
Noun
the pinch of my favorite sweater really bugged me!
an innocent person caught up in a city-wide pinch of drug dealers
Adjective
A pinch homer won the game.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kff Health News, Orange County Register, 13 Nov. 2024
Your dough should look crumbly but stick together when pinched with two fingers.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 1 Nov. 2024
Krissy Tiglias, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2024
Although Australia’s unscripted sector has arguably fared better than other English-language markets such as the UK and U.S., the pinch is being felt everywhere.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
Susan Slusser, SFChronicle.com, 26 Sep. 2020
See all Example Sentences for pinch 
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.
Verb
The rise in infections accelerated in 2021, pinching public health leaders still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic.
—Kff Health News, Orange County Register, 13 Nov. 2024
Your dough should look crumbly but stick together when pinched with two fingers.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
The 25 Best Soup Recipes, According To Our Readers
01 of 07
Busy Day Soup
In a weeknight pinch?
—Krissy Tiglias, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2024
Although Australia’s unscripted sector has arguably fared better than other English-language markets such as the UK and U.S., the pinch is being felt everywhere.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Pinch runner Tony Kemp was then stranded at third, emblematic of Oakland’s offensive frustrations, as Ramón Laureano struck out, Canha walked, Olson popped up and pinch-hitter Robbie Grossman struck out against Casey Sadler.
—Susan Slusser, SFChronicle.com, 26 Sep. 2020
See all Example Sentences for pinch
Dictionary Entries Near pinch
Cite this Entry
“Pinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinch. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pinch
1 of 2 verb1
a
: to squeeze between the finger and thumb or between the jaws of an instrument
b
: to nip off (a bud) to control flowering or prune the tip of (a young shoot) to cause branching
c
: to squeeze painfully
2
: to cause to appear thin, haggard, or shrunken
a face pinched with cold
3
a
: to be thrifty or stingy
b
: to restrain or limit narrowly
4
5
a
b
: to sharply reduce the length or quantity of
pinch
2 of 2 noun1
a
: a critical time or point : emergency
help out in a pinch
b
: painful pressure or stress
the pinch of hunger
2
a
: an act of pinching
b
: as much as may be taken between the finger and thumb
a pinch of salt
c
: a small amount
3
a
: theft
b
: a police raid
also
: arrest entry 2 sense 2
Medical Definition
pinch
transitive verb
: to squeeze or compress (a part of the body) usually in a painful or discomforting way
a pinched nerve caused by entrapment
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share