# squeeze

> English word · Verb · IPA /skwiːz/ · frequency rank #7,852

## Definitions
1. To apply pressure to from two or more sides at once.
2. To embrace closely; to give a tight hug to.
3. To fit into a tight place.
4. To remove something with difficulty, or apparent difficulty.
5. To put in a difficult position by presenting two or more choices.
6. To oppress with hardships, burdens, or taxes; to harass.
7. To attempt to score a runner from third by bunting.

## Etymology
From earlier squize, squise (whence also dialectal English squizzen and squeege), first attested around 1600, further origin uncertain; probably an alteration of quease (which is attested since 1550), from Middle English queisen (“to squeeze”), from Old English cwȳsan (“to crush, squeeze”), itself also of unknown origin, perhaps imitative (compare Swedish qväsa, kväsa (“to squeeze, bruise, crush; quell”), Dutch kwetsen (“to injure, hurt”), German quetschen (“to squeeze”)). Or, a blend of obsolete squiss (“to squeeze”) (whence also squash and squish) with quease. Compare also French esquicher from Old Occitan esquichar (“to press, squeeze”).
The slang expression "to put the squeeze on (someone or something)", meaning "to exert influence", is from 1711. The baseball term "squeeze play" is first recorded 1905. "Main squeeze" ("most important person") is attested from 1896, the specific meaning "one's sweetheart, lover" is attested in 1970s.
The nonstandard strong forms squoze and squozen, attested dialectally since at least the mid-19th century, are by analogy with freeze.

## Easily confused with
- **sneeze** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sneeze-vs-squeeze)

## Common misspellings (9)
`qsueeze`, `sqeueze`, `sqqueeze`, `squeeez`, `squeezze`, `squeze`, `squezee`, `ssqueeze`, `suqeeze`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/squeeze