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squeeze out

B2 neutral separable transitive
In simple words

To press something to get liquid out of it, or to push someone out of a job or market gradually

Literal meaning: To physically squeeze a container or material so that liquid or substance is forced out

Meanings

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."

Grammar: separable
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."

Grammar: 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."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

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.

Commonly used with

competitor supplier juice toothpaste profits smallbusiness

Forms

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

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Synonyms

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