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
Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
Today’s Free Press Flashback explains why Queen Elizabeth’s brother-in-law was pinched while moonlighting as a photojournalist.
—Bill McGraw, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2024
Then one of us would pinch the other between the ribs or pull on the other’s hair.
—Aryn Kyle, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
Average wages have risen faster than prices over the last year, but many families remain pinched.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Why do people get pinched on St. Patrick's Day?
Americans may also be behind this St. Patrick's Day tradition.
—Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Mar. 2024
Available in sizes 14 through 24, the baggy jeans come in two washes and are made to sit low on the hips without digging or pinching into your waist.
—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024
Inflation and rising interest rates are pinching urban consumers
Inflation is vexing consumers in several cities that sit near the top of the new WalletHub ranking, researchers said.
—USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2024
Yes, the green one is the worst of them all because there are many valid ways to pinch it with the gripper and lift it up.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 Feb. 2024
Cynthia Graubart, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2024
Make sauce: Combine minced roasted garlic with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium-size bowl, add a pinch of salt and mash to combine.
5.
—Yakir Levy, Orange County Register, 11 Apr. 2024
These playful shades serve to add dimension to the overall collection and give a subtle pinch of seasonal celebration to your space.
—Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Apr. 2024
Add 2 large eggs, a big pinch of kosher salt, a big pinch of freshly ground pepper, and a small splash of water.
—Emma Laperruque, Bon Appétit, 1 Apr. 2024
Whites and yolks can also be frozen separately, though the USDA suggests adding a pinch of salt and 1½ teaspoons of sugar or corn syrup to every four egg yolks for the best consistency.
—Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
In the morning, add a pinch of salt to a glass of water and drink on an empty stomach.
—Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2024
Paper pinch Place a piece of paper on a table or other flat surface.
—Dana Santas, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024
Such additional features open up the Apple Ring as a potent controller for the Vision Pro headset, which is currently controlled using your eyes and a basic finger pinch gesture.
—Andrew Williams, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Susan Slusser, SFChronicle.com, 26 Sep. 2020
Verb
Scallops squeeze their shells to thrust themselves away from danger and can pinch them around your fingers.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
Today’s Free Press Flashback explains why Queen Elizabeth’s brother-in-law was pinched while moonlighting as a photojournalist.
—Bill McGraw, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2024
Then one of us would pinch the other between the ribs or pull on the other’s hair.
—Aryn Kyle, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
Average wages have risen faster than prices over the last year, but many families remain pinched.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Why do people get pinched on St. Patrick's Day?
Americans may also be behind this St. Patrick's Day tradition.
—Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Mar. 2024
Available in sizes 14 through 24, the baggy jeans come in two washes and are made to sit low on the hips without digging or pinching into your waist.
—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024
Inflation and rising interest rates are pinching urban consumers
Inflation is vexing consumers in several cities that sit near the top of the new WalletHub ranking, researchers said.
—USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2024
Yes, the green one is the worst of them all because there are many valid ways to pinch it with the gripper and lift it up.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 Feb. 2024
Noun
Spice: Add a pinch of paprika, garlic powder, or nutmeg for extra flavor.
—Cynthia Graubart, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2024
Make sauce: Combine minced roasted garlic with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium-size bowl, add a pinch of salt and mash to combine.
5.
—Yakir Levy, Orange County Register, 11 Apr. 2024
These playful shades serve to add dimension to the overall collection and give a subtle pinch of seasonal celebration to your space.
—Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Apr. 2024
Add 2 large eggs, a big pinch of kosher salt, a big pinch of freshly ground pepper, and a small splash of water.
—Emma Laperruque, Bon Appétit, 1 Apr. 2024
Whites and yolks can also be frozen separately, though the USDA suggests adding a pinch of salt and 1½ teaspoons of sugar or corn syrup to every four egg yolks for the best consistency.
—Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
In the morning, add a pinch of salt to a glass of water and drink on an empty stomach.
—Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2024
Paper pinch Place a piece of paper on a table or other flat surface.
—Dana Santas, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024
Such additional features open up the Apple Ring as a potent controller for the Vision Pro headset, which is currently controlled using your eyes and a basic finger pinch gesture.
—Andrew Williams, Forbes, 28 Mar. 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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pinch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pinch
Cite this Entry
“Pinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinch. Accessed 24 Apr. 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
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