Definition

Phrasal verb: - To barely succeed, pass, or survive a difficult situation, test, or challenge by a very narrow margin. It implies achieving something with minimal effort, resources, or time to spare, often suggesting an element of luck or a close call.

Usage

This phrasal verb is used to describe situations where success is achieved by the smallest possible margin. It is often used in informal contexts. It can be transitive (squeak through something) or intransitive (just squeak through). - Transitive: She squeaked through the exam. - Intransitive: The bill barely squeaked through in the final vote.

Examples

• He squeaked through the qualifying round by just one point.
• The team squeaked through to the finals with a last-minute goal.
• I didn't study much, but I think I might squeak through.
• The new law squeaked through parliament by a single vote.

Advanced Usage

• "squeak by": This is a very close synonym and is often used interchangeably with "squeak through," especially in intransitive contexts. The preposition "by" can emphasize passing by or moving past a point of evaluation.
  • I didn't do well on the midterm, but I managed to squeak by with a C-.

Variants and Related Words

• Squeaker (noun): A competition or contest that is won by a very narrow margin.
  • The election was a real squeaker; the winner was decided by fewer than 100 votes.

Synonyms

• Scrape by/through: To just barely manage to succeed or survive, often with difficulty.
• Barely pass: To pass with the minimum required score or approval.
• Narrowly avoid failure: To almost fail but succeed at the last moment.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Scrape through: Very similar in meaning, emphasizing barely managing to pass a test or difficult period.
  • He scraped through university with very average grades.
• Get by: To manage to live or deal with a situation, usually with minimal resources. It is less specific about a narrow margin of success in a single event.
  • They get by on a very small income.

Related Idioms

• By the skin of one's teeth: To succeed by a very narrow margin; to barely manage to do something.
  • He passed the exam by the skin of his teeth.
• A close shave: A situation where one barely avoids danger or failure.
  • Missing that deadline was a close shave, but we squeaked through.

Verb

1. escape
   • She squeaked by me