idiom · neutral
feel the pinch
/fiːl ðə pɪntʃ/feel·the·PINCH
to suffer because of a shortage of money or resources
Examples
“Many families began to feel the pinch after utility prices rose.”
“Small businesses felt the pinch during the pandemic when customer numbers dropped.”
“If living costs keep rising, more people will feel the pinch next winter.”
Band 8 sentence
“While government support cushioned the worst effects, many households still felt the pinch as inflation rose.”
Collocations
- feel the pinch of + noun
- begin to feel the pinch
Word family
Common mistakes
feel the pinch of money→feel the pinch
feel pinch→feel the pinch
Say it for a higher band
5have less money→6be short of money→7+feel the pinch
Synonyms
suffer financially
tighten one's belt
Easily confused
tighten one's belt
“Many households began to feel the pinch when wages stagnated.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Hardship
Learn it with its set