Squeak By

B1 8+
Pronunciation Definitions Examples Grammatical Forms Origin and Evolution

Pronunciation: /skwik bai/

Definitions of squeak by

noun a high-pitched sound or cry

Example Sentences

A1 The tiny mouse made a squeak by the door.

A2 I heard a squeak by the window, but couldn't see what caused it.

B1 The old wooden floorboards would often squeak by when someone walked on them.

B2 As the rusty hinges turned, a loud squeak by echoed through the empty room.

C1 The high-pitched squeak by of the violin filled the concert hall with beautiful music.

C2 The faint squeak by of the rusty gate could be heard as the wind blew through the abandoned farm.

verb to narrowly pass or succeed

Example Sentences

A1 The mouse squeaked by the cat without being noticed.

A2 The bicycle barely squeaked by the car in the narrow street.

B1 The company's profits just managed to squeak by last quarter.

B2 The athlete squeaked by the competition to win the race by a fraction of a second.

C1 The politician's controversial bill squeaked by in a close vote.

C2 The film's critical reception was mixed, but it managed to squeak by with a few positive reviews.

preposition indicating the manner or means by which something is done

Example Sentences

A1 The mouse managed to squeak by the cat unnoticed.

A2 I saw a small gap in the fence and knew I could squeak by.

B1 The car just barely squeaked by the oncoming traffic.

B2 Despite the tight deadline, she managed to squeak by with a passing grade.

C1 The company's financial report showed they barely squeaked by with a profit.

C2 The athlete's performance was so exceptional that he easily squeaked by the competition.

Examples of squeak by in a Sentence

formal The mouse managed to squeak by the cat without being noticed.

informal I was able to squeak by the security guard and sneak into the concert.

slang I barely squeaked by on the exam, but at least I passed.

figurative Despite the challenges, she was able to squeak by and make ends meet.

Grammatical Forms of squeak by

past tense

squeaked by

plural

squeak by

comparative

squeakier by

superlative

squeakiest by

present tense

squeak by

future tense

will squeak by

perfect tense

have squeaked by

continuous tense

is squeaking by

singular

squeak by

positive degree

squeak by

infinitive

to squeak by

gerund

squeaking by

participle

squeaked by

Origin and Evolution of squeak by

First Known Use: 1601 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The word 'squeak by' originated from the combination of the word 'squeak' meaning a short, high-pitched sound and 'by' indicating a narrow margin or close call.
Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe narrowly avoiding a negative outcome or barely succeeding, 'squeak by' has evolved to also mean accomplishing something with minimal effort or resources.