Example
“The sofa can sleep two people at a pinch, but it will not be comfortable.”
Dictionary details
Related idioms
Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.
feel the pinch
Neutral · CEFR B2
experience financial pressure because money has become scarce
bite the bullet
Neutral · CEFR B2
To force yourself to do something unpleasant or difficult that you have been avoiding.
when push comes to shove
Neutral · CEFR B2
when mounting pressure makes decisive action unavoidable
when the chips are down
Neutral · CEFR B2
at a moment of crisis when pressure forces an important choice
easier said than done
Neutral · CEFR B1
Something that sounds simple to do but is actually hard.
hang in there
Informal · CEFR B1
to persevere and not give up despite difficulty
Source methodology
Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.