squeeze

squeeze
    n 1: the act of gripping and pressing firmly; "he gave her cheek
         a playful squeeze" [syn: {squeeze}, {squeezing}]
    2: a state in which there is a short supply of cash to lend to
       businesses and consumers and interest rates are high [syn:
       {credit crunch}, {liquidity crisis}, {squeeze}]
    3: a situation in which increased costs cannot be passed on to
       the customer; "increased expenses put a squeeze on profits"
    4: (slang) a person's girlfriend or boyfriend; "she was his main
       squeeze"
    5: a twisting squeeze; "gave the wet cloth a wring" [syn:
       {squeeze}, {wring}]
    6: an aggressive attempt to compel acquiescence by the
       concentration or manipulation of power; "she laughed at this
       sexual power play and walked away" [syn: {power play},
       {squeeze play}, {squeeze}]
    7: a tight or amorous embrace; "come here and give me a big hug"
       [syn: {hug}, {clinch}, {squeeze}]
    8: the act of forcing yourself (or being forced) into or through
       a restricted space; "getting through that small opening was a
       tight squeeze"
    v 1: to compress with violence, out of natural shape or
         condition; "crush an aluminum can"; "squeeze a lemon" [syn:
         {squash}, {crush}, {squelch}, {mash}, {squeeze}]
    2: press firmly; "He squeezed my hand"
    3: squeeze like a wedge into a tight space; "I squeezed myself
       into the corner" [syn: {wedge}, {squeeze}, {force}]
    4: to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical,
       moral or intellectual means :"She forced him to take a job in
       the city"; "He squeezed her for information" [syn: {coerce},
       {hale}, {squeeze}, {pressure}, {force}]
    5: obtain by coercion or intimidation; "They extorted money from
       the executive by threatening to reveal his past to the
       company boss"; "They squeezed money from the owner of the
       business by threatening him" [syn: {extort}, {squeeze},
       {rack}, {gouge}, {wring}]
    6: press or force; "Stuff money into an envelope"; "She thrust
       the letter into his hand" [syn: {thrust}, {stuff}, {shove},
       {squeeze}]
    7: squeeze tightly between the fingers; "He pinched her behind";
       "She squeezed the bottle" [syn: {pinch}, {squeeze}, {twinge},
       {tweet}, {nip}, {twitch}]
    8: squeeze (someone) tightly in your arms, usually with
       fondness; "Hug me, please"; "They embraced"; "He hugged her
       close to him" [syn: {embrace}, {hug}, {bosom}, {squeeze}]
    9: squeeze or press together; "she compressed her lips"; "the
       spasm contracted the muscle" [syn: {compress}, {constrict},
       {squeeze}, {compact}, {contract}, {press}]
    

Squeeze \Squeeze\, v. i.
   To press; to urge one's way, or to pass, by pressing; to
   crowd; -- often with through, into, etc.; as, to squeeze hard
   to get through a crowd.
   [1913 Webster]
    

Squeeze \Squeeze\, n.
   1. The act of one who squeezes; compression between bodies;
      pressure.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A facsimile impression taken in some soft substance, as
      pulp, from an inscription on stone.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Mining) The gradual closing of workings by the weight of
      the overlying strata.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   4. Pressure or constraint used to force the making of a gift,
      concession, or the like; exaction; extortion; as, to put
      the squeeze on someone. [Colloq.]

            One of the many "squeezes" imposed by the mandarins.
                                                  --A. R.
                                                  Colquhoun.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
    

Squeeze \Squeeze\ (skw[=e]z), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Squeezed}
   (skw[=e]zd); p. pr. & vb. n. {Squeezing}.] [OE. queisen, AS.
   cw[=e]san, cw[=y]san, cw[imac]san, of uncertain origin. The
   s- was probably prefixed through the influence of squash,
   v.t.]
   1. To press between two bodies; to press together closely; to
      compress; often, to compress so as to expel juice,
      moisture, etc.; as, to squeeze an orange with the fingers;
      to squeeze the hand in friendship.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Fig.: To oppress with hardships, burdens, or taxes; to
      harass; to crush.
      [1913 Webster]

            In a civil war, people must expect to be crushed and
            squeezed toward the burden.           --L'Estrange.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To force, or cause to pass, by compression; often with
      out, through, etc.; as, to squeeze water through felt.
      [1913 Webster]

   Syn: To compress; hug; pinch; gripe; crowd.
        [1913 Webster]
    

268 Moby Thesaurus words for "squeeze":
      arrest, arrestation, arrestment, badger, bar, barricade, bear,
      bear against, bear down on, bear down upon, bear hard upon,
      bear hug, bind, blackmail, bleed, block, block up, blockade,
      blockage, blocking, bolt, boodle, booty, bosom, broad, check,
      chock, choke, choke off, clamp, clamping, clamping down, clasp,
      clench, clinch, clip, clogging, close, close off, close tight,
      close up, closing up, closure, clutch, compact, complication,
      compress, compression, concentrate, condense, congest, consolidate,
      constrict, constriction, contort, contract, cram, cramp, crowd,
      crunch, crush, debar, decoct, delay, densen, densify, detainment,
      detention, distill, distort, dog, doxy, embarrassing position,
      embarrassment, embosom, embrace, enfold, enfoldment, ensphere,
      essentialize, exact, express, extort, extract, fine how-do-you-do,
      fixation, fold, foot-dragging, force, force from, garble, get by,
      get one wrong, get through, get wrong, gloss, gouge, graft, grip,
      hampering, haul, hell to pay, high-pressure, hindering, hindrance,
      hobble, hold, holdback, holdup, hot goods, hot water,
      how-do-you-do, hug, imbroglio, impediment, influence, infuse,
      inhibition, interference, interruption, jam, lean on, let,
      levy blackmail, lock, loot, melt down, mess, milk, misapply,
      misapprehend, miscite, misconceive, misconstrue, misdeem,
      misexplain, misexplicate, misexpound, misinterpret, misjudge,
      misquote, misread, misrender, mistake, mistranslate, mistress,
      misunderstand, mix, moll, morass, negativism, nip, nuisance value,
      obstruct, obstruction, obstructionism, occlude, occlusion,
      opposition, pack, parlous straits, pass, perks, perquisite,
      pervert, pickings, pickle, pinch, plight, plunder, pork barrel,
      predicament, press, press out, pressure, pretty pass,
      pretty pickle, pretty predicament, prize, pry loose from, pry out,
      public till, public trough, push, put pressure on, quagmire,
      quicksand, ram, ram down, refine, rend, rend from, render,
      repression, resistance, restraint, restriction, retardation,
      retardment, rip, rip from, scrape, screw, setback, shake,
      shake down, shut off, shut out, shut tight, slough, snatch from,
      soak, solidify, spoil, spoils, spoils of office, spot, squab,
      squash, squeak by, squeak through, squeeze shut, squeezing, squish,
      stealings, steep, stew, sticky wicket, stifle, stolen goods,
      stop up, strain the sense, strait, straits, strangle, stranglehold,
      strangulate, stricture, stuff, suffocate, suppression, swag, swamp,
      sweetheart, sweetie, take, tear, tear from, tight spot,
      tight squeeze, tighten, tightening, tightrope, till, torture,
      tricky spot, tweak, twist the words, unholy mess, urge, wad up,
      wedge, wrench, wrench from, wrest, wring, wring from, wring out