# feel the pinch

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/feel-the-pinch
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To suffer a hardship, especially significant financial pressure.

## Examples

- Many families feel the pinch when food prices rise.
- With the cost of rent increasing so quickly, many young professionals are starting to feel the pinch.
- As the economic recession deepened, even the most successful small businesses began to feel the pinch of reduced consumer spending.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.