PINCHED Synonyms: 276 Similar and Opposite Words

pinched 1 of 2

adjective

as in reduced

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Dissimilar Words

as in gaunt

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Dissimilar Words

pinched

2 of 2

verb

past tense of pinch

as in nipped

to squeeze tightly between two surfaces, edges, or points the zipper on those jeans always pinches me

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stole

to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep pinched the earrings while the boutique owner was distracted by another customer

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in arrested

to take or keep under one's control by authority of law pinched the purse snatcher just two blocks from where he had robbed the old lady

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in saved

to avoid unnecessary waste or expense if we pinch hard for the upcoming year, we can probably afford the vacation at that fancy resort

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of pinched

Verb

Workers have been frantically building an emergency revetment — placing rocks on the coast to armor the shoreline against the waves — to shore up the roadway, located on a narrow strip of coastline pinched between the ocean and a cliff. — Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 On the final play of the first quarter of Saturday’s preseason opener, backup quarterback Kyle Allen scrambled left and got pinched off near the sideline. — Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026 Nerves are effectively long cables running from the spinal cord out to the skin and muscles, and like any cable, they can be pinched. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 Many teachers and residents across the county are feeling pinched by Johnson County’s rising costs of living. — Taylor O'Connor 15, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2026 But the chairman also acknowledged how consumers are feeling pinched by years of high inflation. — Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 14 July 2026 This decline has pinched profit margins in the 401(k) world, said Kai Richter, an attorney with Cohen Milstein who has long specialized in ERISA class-action cases. — Paul Kiel, ProPublica, 8 July 2026 My thumb and index finger pinched together to grab a dime, while my middle finger reached farther to pick up coins that had rolled under the edge of a cabinet. — Steven Lautzenheiser, The Conversation, 6 July 2026 Paintings of Rush made in his lifetime depicted a man with flat hair and long, pinched features. — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 3 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinched

Adjective

If a community decides the potential benefits of such a project (jobs and reduced taxes, for example) outweigh its costs, the municipality should be able to move forward.

— Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026
Backers of the measure say the parks department provides an essential safety net for the city’s low-income residents, offering summer camps, sports activities and senior programs for free or at reduced prices.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of reduced

Adjective

The group last played a public show on July 18 in Valdosta, Georgia, following an uneven few months where Love appeared gaunt and sang in a raspy, diminished voice.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
Apple was widely criticized in the late 2000s for not volunteering more information about Jobs’ health, especially as concerns about his gaunt appearance battered the company’s shares.

— Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of gaunt

Verb

And nipped any indication that Williams was taunting the 45-year-old coach in the bud.

— Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 14 Sep. 2026
Cristopher Sanchez worked six effective innings to become the majors’ first 16-game winner as the Philadelphia Phillies nipped the visiting Miami Marlins 6-5 on Monday.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of nipped

Verb

While the 28-year-old hit 19 homers and stole 41 bases, his 98 wRC+ ranked 14th among qualified second basemen.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 9 Oct. 2026
Someone stole the entrance sign at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Michigan's Upper Peninsula during the weekend, and park officials are asking for its return.

— Paula Wethington, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of stole

Verb

In 2010, 11 deep-cover Russian spies were arrested across the United States, sending shockwaves around the globe.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
An officer arrested the suspect after spotting him walking alone on a street in Naha's entertainment district late Saturday, Kyodo said.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of arrested

Verb

Lars Eller, the sixth skater, fired a shot from the point that Anaheim goaltender Lukas Dostal saved.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
One of the more useful recommendations from this research is to stop looking only at hours saved and ask instead what the business is now willing and able to attempt.

— Luboslava Uram, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of saved

Adjective

The retail army’s outlandish behavior and eccentric stock choices—which included bankrupt Hertz and Bed Bath & Beyond—led many on Wall Street to initially dismiss them as fools who would soon be gone.

— Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026
Leonard signed a four-year, $28 million sponsorship deal with Aspiration and was granted $20 million worth of equity in the now-bankrupt company.

— Mike Prada, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of bankrupt

Adjective

Xbox, despite its increasingly haggard reputation, has announced backwards compatibility for PC.

— Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Rocking back and forth nervously during a television appearance, a haggard-looking Diaz-Canel acknowledged the same talks, which his government had denied were taking place just days before.

— Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026