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to squeeze out

to squeeze out

4 4.2
To make someone leave a place or job by pressure
  • phrasal verb
  • /skwiːz aʊt/
translation icon : expulsar
  • I used to have my own company, but, uh, big guys moved in and squeezed me out.

You know that that your creativity gets gets squeezed out.

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Examples

  • And there was plenty of company, such as handset makers feeling squeezed out of the phone market by Apple.

    Blog text (19)
  • As the competition grew, several smaller shops were squeezed out of the market.

  • They squeeze everybody out of business.

  • The small growers were quickly squeezed out of the market.

    Academic text (2000)
  • As rents have skyrocketed, LGBT people have been squeezed out en masse.

    Blog text (32)
  • The new regulations squeezed out many small businesses that could not comply.

  • The high rent prices are effectively squeezing out local restaurants from the area.

Synonyms

to kick out
vsto squeeze out
512 3.0

Force someone to leave a place or group

makes someone leave gradually through pressure and difficult conditions
to drive out
vsto squeeze out
70 3.8

Force someone or something to leave a place

uses pressure or harsh conditions rather than direct expulsion
to push out
vsto squeeze out
16 3.2

To move something outward using force

uses social or situational pressure rather than simple physical moving
to force out
vsto squeeze out
6 4.2

To push something out with effort or pressure

makes someone leave by creating harsh or difficult conditions
to thrust out
vsto squeeze out
2 4.8

Push something outward suddenly and strongly

removes by sustained pressure or harsh conditions rather than sudden action
to rout out
vsto squeeze out
1 7.1

To force someone or something out of a place by searching

relies on pressure and hostile conditions rather than official search or power
to winkle out
vsto squeeze out
  • Informal
9.1

To get someone or something out with effort

uses pressure or harsh conditions rather than persistent effort alone

Antonyms

252 1.0

Allow someone or something to enter a place

233 1.0

Receive something or someone gladly

How Forceful

to oust
80 6.2
to expel
194 5.0
to squeeze out
4 4.2
to drive out
70 3.8
to push out
16 3.2

Surface Forms

squeeze out infinitive
squeezed out past participle
squeezing out present participle
squeezes out third person singular

Morphology

squeeze + out

The meaning 'to shape or form by forcing through an opening / to extract' is directly derived from 'squeeze' (apply pressure) plus 'out' (away from the interior), so a learner who knows both words can infer extracting or pushing liquid/material outward. This motion/force + particle construction is a common, cross-linguistic compositional pattern and should be immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Squeeze out comes from the picture of pushing people or things together until one is forced out of a place, like in a crowded room. That image explains why it means 'to force someone or something out of a position'.