Put the squeeze on Meaning in English

expression

US

ˈpʊt/ /ˈðə/, /ðə/, /ði/ /ˈskwiz/ /ˈɑn/, /ˈɔn

PUT thuh SKWEEZ awn

UK

pʊt/ /ðə, ði/ /skwˈiːz/ /ˈɒn

put thuh skWEEZ on

Definition

To try to force someone to do something by using pressure, threats, or strong persuasion.

Usage & Nuances

Informal, often used in business, politics, or personal situations to describe applying pressure. Common collocations: 'put the squeeze on someone', 'put the squeeze on a company'. Implies coercion, not physical squeezing.

• Spanish: presionar - ejercer presión (sobre alguien)
• Portuguese (BR): pressionar - fazer pressão (em alguém)
• Portuguese (PT): pressionar - fazer pressão (sobre alguém)
• Chinese (Simplified): 施加压力 - 逼迫
• Chinese (Traditional): 施加壓力 - 逼迫
• Hindi: दबाव डालना - जोर देना
• Arabic: يضع الضغط على - يمارس الضغط
• Bengali: চাপ দেওয়া - জোর করা
• Russian: давить на кого-то - оказывать давление
• Japanese: 圧力をかける - 強く迫る
• Vietnamese: gây áp lực - ép buộc
• Korean: 압박을 가하다 - 압력을 넣다
• Turkish: baskı yapmak - sıkıştırmak
• Urdu: دباؤ ڈالنا - زبردستی کرانا
• Indonesian: menekan - memberi tekanan

Example Sentences

The boss put the squeeze on me to finish the report early.

basic

They tried to put the squeeze on the landlord for a lower rent.

basic

The bank is putting the squeeze on small businesses this year.

basic

If you want results, sometimes you have to put the squeeze on people.

natural

The company put the squeeze on suppliers for better prices.

natural

She’s not going to pay unless someone puts the squeeze on her.

natural