elbow room

noun

Synonyms of elbow roomnext
1
a
: room for moving the elbows freely
b
: adequate space for work or operation
a lab with plenty of elbow room
2
: free scope
elbow room to try new ideas

Examples of elbow room in a Sentence

It's a small kitchen with very little elbow room. help me move the furniture so that we'll have enough elbow room to do some aerobics
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Instead of feeling generous, the space feels tight and overworked, with chairs competing for attention and elbow room. Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026 After having their second child in February last year, Zachary and Victoria Glasser needed a little more elbow room. Lily O'Neill, San Antonio Express-News, 23 Feb. 2026 The angle of the open tent top will cut into the 48-in (122-cm) width, affecting the shoulder and elbow room of whoever's sleeping next to it, but IO compensates by giving the fabric entry-side wall a similar angle. New Atlas, 20 Feb. 2026 The reason Georgia’s latest winter bash looked nothing like 2014’s Snowmageddon is because most people left elbow room for crews to treat the roads and did not weigh down first responders with dozens of crashes. Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 15 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elbow room

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of elbow room was circa 1540

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Elbow room.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elbow%20room. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

elbowroom

noun
el·​bow·​room
ˈel-ˌbō-ˌrüm
-ˌru̇m
1
: room for moving the elbows freely
2
: enough space for work or operation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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