like sardines
idiom
: without enough room to move around
A large crowd of reporters was crammed/packed like sardines into a small room.
Examples of like sardines in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Zerner recommends eating a 3-ounce serving of fatty fish, like sardines, twice a week.
—
Erica Sweeney, EverydayHealth.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Fans packed into the standing sections behind the goal like sardines.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
The Generac Power Stage on July 5 was packed like sardines, spilling into every possible walkway.
—jsonline.com, 5 July 2025
As for trending-in-design fish like sardines or even their tinier cousins, anchovies, Forbes believes the latest fascination stems from the perennial appeal of the fisherman aesthetic at large — something that was spotlighted in the 2025 Pinterest Predicts trend report.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for like sardines
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Erica Sweeney, EverydayHealth.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Fans packed into the standing sections behind the goal like sardines.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
The Generac Power Stage on July 5 was packed like sardines, spilling into every possible walkway.
—jsonline.com, 5 July 2025
As for trending-in-design fish like sardines or even their tinier cousins, anchovies, Forbes believes the latest fascination stems from the perennial appeal of the fisherman aesthetic at large — something that was spotlighted in the 2025 Pinterest Predicts trend report.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for like sardines
Cite this Entry
“Like sardines.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/like%20sardines. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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