pinch vs squeeze

pinch

verb
  • Of clothing, to be uncomfortably tight in specific spots. 

  • To squeeze between two objects. 

  • To arrest or capture. 

  • To squeeze between the thumb and forefinger. 

  • To sail so close-hauled that the sails begin to flutter. 

  • To take hold; to grip, as a dog does. 

  • To steal, usually something inconsequential. 

  • To cramp; to straiten; to oppress; to starve. 

  • To move, as a railroad car, by prying the wheels with a pinch. 

  • To cut shoots or buds of a plant in order to shape the plant, or to improve its yield. 

  • To squeeze a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt. 

  • To seize; to grip; to bite. 

noun
  • A close compression of anything with the fingers. 

  • A small amount of powder or granules, such that the amount could be held between fingertip and thumb tip. 

  • An awkward situation of some kind (especially money or social) which is difficult to escape. 

  • An organic herbal smoke additive. 

  • A magnetic compression of an electrically-conducting filament. 

  • The narrow part connecting the two bulbs of an hourglass. 

  • The action of squeezing a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt. 

  • An arrest. 

  • A metal bar used as a lever for lifting weights, rolling wheels, etc. 

squeeze

verb
  • To fit into a tight place. 

  • To put in a difficult position by presenting two or more choices. 

  • To attempt to score a runner from third by bunting. 

  • To remove something with difficulty, or apparent difficulty. 

  • To embrace closely; to give a tight hug to. 

  • To oppress with hardships, burdens, or taxes; to harass. 

  • To apply pressure to from two or more sides at once. 

noun
  • The act of bunting in an attempt to score a runner from third. 

  • An instance of squeezing. 

  • A close or tight fit. 

  • The gradual closing of workings by the weight of the overlying strata. 

  • An illicit alcoholic drink made by squeezing Sterno through cheesecloth, etc., and mixing the result with fruit juice. 

  • A difficult position. 

  • A moulding, cast or other impression of an object, chiefly a design, inscription etc., especially by pressing wet paper onto the surface and peeling off when dry. 

  • A traversal of a narrow passage. 

  • A romantic partner. 

  • A play that forces an opponent to discard a card that gives up one or more tricks. 

  • A hug or other affectionate grasp. 

How often have the words pinch and squeeze occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )