1 A2 neutral
To force liquid or a substance out of something by pressing or squeezing
"She squeezed out the last drops of shampoo from the bottle."
separable
squeeze out
B2 neutral separable transitive
To force liquid or substance out by pressing, or to gradually force someone or something out of a position
In plain English
To press something to get liquid out of it, or to push someone out of a job or market gradually
What does "squeeze out" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To force a person, company, or competitor out of a market or position through economic or competitive pressure
"The arrival of the large supermarket gradually squeezed out all the small independent grocers in the town."
separable
3 B2 idiomatic informal
To manage to produce or obtain something with great effort or from limited supply
"The manager tried to squeeze a few more months of use out of the ageing machinery."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To physically squeeze a container or material so that liquid or substance is forced out
Actually means
To press something to get liquid out of it, or to push someone out of a job or market gradually
Usage tip
Has both a literal sense (squeezing liquid from a tube or cloth) and a common figurative sense (forcing a competitor or person out of a market, job, or position through pressure). The figurative sense is very common in business and economics journalism.
Words that pair with "squeeze out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
competitor supplier juice toothpaste profits smallbusiness
How to conjugate "squeeze out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
squeeze out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
squeezes out
he/she/it
Past simple
squeezed out
yesterday
Past participle
squeezed out
have + pp
-ing form
squeezing out
continuous
Hear "squeeze out" in the wild
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Other ways to say "squeeze out"
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