squeeze
squeeze [squeeze squeezes squeezed squeezing] verb, noun BrE [skwiːz] NAmE [skwiːz]
verb 
PRESS WITH FINGERS
1. transitive, intransitive ~ (sth) to press sth firmly, especially with your fingers
•to squeeze a tube of toothpaste
•to squeeze the trigger of a gun (= to fire it)
• He squeezed her hand and smiled at her.
• Just take hold of the tube and squeeze.
GET LIQUID OUT
2. transitive to get liquid out of sth by pressing or twisting it hard
•~ sth out of/from sth to squeeze the juice from a lemon
• (figurative) She felt as if every drop of emotion had been squeezed from her.
•~ sth (out) He took off his wet clothes and squeezed the water out.
•freshly squeezed orange juice
•~ sth + adj. Soak the cloth in warm water and then squeeze it dry.
INTO/THROUGH SMALL SPACE
3. transitive, intransitive to force sb/sth/yourself into or through a small space
•~ sb/sth into, through, etc. sth We managed to squeeze six people into the car.
• It's a pretty town, squeezed between the mountains and the ocean.
• (figurative)We managed to squeeze a lot into a week (= we did a lot of different things).
•~ into, through, etc. sth to squeeze into a tight dress/a parking space
•to squeeze through a gap in the hedge
•~ through, in, past, etc. If you move forward a little, I can squeeze past.
THREATEN
4. transitive ~ sb (for sth) (informal)to get sth by putting pressure on sb, threatening them, etc
•He's squeezing me for £500.
LIMIT MONEY
5. transitive ~ sb/sth to strictly limit or reduce the amount of money that sb/sth has or can use
•High interest rates have squeezed the industry hard.
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
mid 16th cent.: from earlier squise, from obsolete queise, of unknown origin.
Thesaurus:
squeeze verb T, I
•He slowly squeezed the trigger.
press • • push •
squeeze/press/push on sth
squeeze/press/push (sth) hard/gently
Which word? Press is the most general word. You can press sth with your finger, hand or foot. Push is mostly used with the word button. You squeeze sth by bending your finger(s) around it.
Example Bank:
•‘I know,’ she said, squeezing his hand gently.
•His legs were squeezed together.
•I squeezed the last bit of toothpaste out of the tube.
•squeezing the juice from a lemon
•By squeezing the bulb you will be pumping air into the jar.
•He slowly squeezed the trigger.
•It's a pretty town, squeezed between the mountains and the ocean.
•She squeezed on the reins and the cart came to a halt.
•Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over each fish.
•They were able to squeeze through a gap in the fence.
•We managed to squeeze a lot into a week.
Idioms: ↑put the squeeze on somebody ▪ ↑squeeze somebody dry
Derived: ↑squeeze somebody in ▪ ↑squeeze somebody out ▪ ↑squeeze somebody up ▪ ↑squeeze something out of somebody ▪ ↑squeeze up
noun
PRESSING WITH FINGERS
1. countable, usually singular an act of pressing sth, usually with your hands
• He gave my hand a little squeeze.
• Give the tube another squeeze.
OF LIQUID
2. countable a small amount of liquid that is produced by pressing sth
•a squeeze of lemon juice
IN SMALL SPACE
3. singular a situation where it is almost impossible for a number of people or things to fit into a small or restricted space
•It was a tight squeeze but we finally got everything into the case.
•Seven people in the car was a bit of a squeeze.
REDUCTION IN MONEY
4. countable, usually singular a reduction in the amount of money, jobs, etc. available; a difficult situation caused by this
•a squeeze on profits
•We're really feeling the squeeze since I lost my job.
•a credit squeeze
BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND
5. singular (informal, especially NAmE)a boyfriend or girlfriend
•Who's his main squeeze?
Word Origin:
mid 16th cent.: from earlier squise, from obsolete queise, of unknown origin.
Example Bank:
•All manufacturers are feeling the squeeze.
•He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
•He gave his mother a comforting squeeze as he left.
•Hospitals have been in a squeeze for some time.
•The government is trying to put the squeeze on high earners.
•There were seven of us in the car and it was a tight squeeze.
•We can get six in the car at a squeeze.
•a squeeze on spending
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