the squeeze

noun

informal

: a situation that causes feelings of stress and pressure

We are really feeling the squeeze since I lost my job.

The government is putting the squeeze on tax evaders.

Examples of the squeeze in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Locally, PacWest Bancorp teetered but survived and was later acquired by Banc of California, now based in L.A. The spike in interest rates put the squeeze on City National, which also was buffeted by actors’ and writers’ strikes last summer. —

Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024 Big projects in the Treasure Valley like Micron’s expansion have tied up such a large percentage of the state’s construction and trade workers that developers say the squeeze could hinder other projects, like new apartment complexes and commercial buildings in downtown Boise. —

Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 28 May 2024 Madrid has been particularly affected by an influx of Latin American money, exacerbating the squeeze on the market, as well as hype about certain districts. —

Ainhoa Goyeneche, Fortune Europe, 24 May 2024 Not worth the squeeze The Angels looked to scratch across an early run in the third inning. —

Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2024 The slightly higher unemployment numbers pointed to an economy that was feeling the squeeze of an interest rate tightening cycle. —

Paolo Confino, Fortune, 3 May 2024 Although inflation has since fallen below June 2022’s 40-year high of 9.1%, Americans are still struggling to make ends meet and feeling the squeeze on their paychecks. —

Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024 And the onsite ice cream shop is a godsend, stocked with all the squeeze pouches and kid snacks a young family could desire. —

Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2024 To make matters harder for Hong Kong, worsening tensions between the U.S. and China could put the squeeze on the city, which has long thrived on having links to both the Western and Chinese economies. —

Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 27 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the squeeze.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.