shoehorn

noun

shoe·horn | \ˈshü-ˌhȯrn

\

Definition of shoehorn

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a curved piece (as of horn, wood, or metal) used in putting on a shoe

shoehorn

verb

shoehorned; shoehorning; shoehorns

Definition of shoehorn (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to force to be included or admitted shoehorned irrelevant arguments into his essay

2 : to force or compress into an insufficient space or period of time : squeeze shoehorn the past, present, and future into about 500 pages— Otis Port

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about shoehorn

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Examples of shoehorn in a Sentence

Verb

A parking garage has been shoehorned between the buildings. She's trying to shoehorn a year's worth of classes into a single semester. I don't know how they managed to shoehorn everyone into that little room.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

But the weapons in our bedroom were limited to a shoehorn, a flattening iron and a stack of hardcover books. — John Kelly, Washington Post, "I thought I was alone in the house, then I heard a bump. Or did I?," 1 July 2018 But this documentary feature is fascinating and infuriating in unequal parts, the latter far outweighing the former, since Mr. Jarecki’s instrument is a shoehorn. — Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, "‘The King’ Review: A Documentary That’s All Shook Up," 28 June 2018 In the closet was a cane-size shoehorn topped with a silver dog’s head, Tom Wolfe-style. — Anthony Flint, BostonGlobe.com, "In the lap of luxury in Lenox, at the reborn Blantyre," 6 June 2018 Students used shoehorns and grapefruit knives to detach screens and squirm out windows, or stumbled out a basement exit into the stabbing cold. — New York Times, "Never Solved, a College Dorm Fire Has Become One Man’s Obsession," 13 Apr. 2018 But what makes this shoehorn special is its length—30 inches—which allows its 6-foot 3-inch owner to put on the snuggest of loafers without sitting or bending down. — Clifton Leaf, Fortune, "The Quest for Intuitive Design," 22 Dec. 2017 In between, the show shoehorns social media into as many segments as possible, with sometimes-cringeworthy results. — Maeve Mcdermott, USA TODAY, "Here's why MTV's 'TRL' reboot is totally, really lame," 11 Oct. 2017 The Polynesian-themed bash shoehorns tropical drinks, Tiki art, surf rock, go-go dancers and an assorted of things for sale into one flea market. — John Petkovic, cleveland.com, "Tiki Underground bar and restaurant to host Tu Tiki flea market (photos)," 14 July 2017 An image or phrase finds you, pleases you with its wit or vividness, shoehorns open your evolving vision of the fictive world, and before that change gets fully processed, here comes another. — George Saunders, The New Yorker, "Grace Paley, the Saint of Seeing," 3 Mar. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But the most perfect and only-in-Europe thing about this classic spot—a hotel improbably shoehorned into a Tuscan crag near the town of Porto Ercole—is a Glorious Mediterranean Cliff Elevator. — The Editors Of Gq, GQ, "8 European Beach Vacations That’ll Make Your Instagram Friends Jealous," 28 June 2018 And shoehorning companies into specific activities could discourage them from exploring others. — Raymond Zhong And Paul Mozur, New York Times, "Tech Giants Feel the Squeeze as Xi Jinping Tightens His Grip," 2 May 2018 At first, the Federal Circuit did this cautiously, finding ways to shoehorn software patents into the legal framework the Supreme Court had established in the 1970s. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Why a 40-year-old SCOTUS ruling against software patents still matters today," 21 June 2018 But the bounty of talent counts for little in a tedious, inert piece that awkwardly shoehorns numerous dance interludes into a thin storyline. — Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Beast in the Jungle': Theater Review," 24 May 2018 Cinema is already dangerously close to superhero franchise fatigue, trying to shoehorn Deadpool/X-Force into the rebooted X-Men universe might end up being a bit groan-inducing. — Peter Rubin, WIRED, "We Need to Talk About That Deadpool 2 Credits Scene," 21 May 2018 Accessories add style while taking up little suitcase space, so clever social-bee packers shoehorn in extra statement jewels to dress up cotton frocks. — Crystal Meers, WSJ, "How to Pack for Summer’s Most (and Least) Stressful Getaways," 10 May 2018 With two children now and a responsible job as an English professor, Mr. Coyne has to shoehorn his Scottish adventure between semesters. — John Paul Newport, WSJ, "Summer Books: Golf," 23 May 2018 No! — Mark Ash (@MarkAsh78) May 8, 2018 MLB trying to shoehorn Facebook, especially NOW, is garbage. — Michael Mcgough, sacbee, "'Total joke': Why MLB's partnership with Facebook has Giants fans and beat writers mad | The Sacramento Bee," 8 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shoehorn.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Time Traveler for shoehorn

The first known use of shoehorn was in 1589

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More Definitions for shoehorn

shoehorn

noun

English Language Learners Definition of shoehorn

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a curved device that you use to slide the heel of your foot into a shoe

shoehorn

verb

English Language Learners Definition of shoehorn (Entry 2 of 2)

: to force (something or someone) into a small space, a short period of time, etc.

See the full definition for shoehorn in the English Language Learners Dictionary

shoehorn

noun

shoe·horn | \ˈshü-ˌhȯrn

\

Kids Definition of shoehorn

: a curved piece (as of metal) to help in sliding the heel of the foot into a shoe

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tergiversation

evasion of direct action or statement

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