cram 1 of 2

noun

Definition of cramnext
as in swarm
a great number of persons or things massed together battling the rush-hour cram in the subway

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cram

2 of 2

verb

ˈkram How to pronounce cram (audio)
1
as in to squeeze
to fit (people or things) into a tight space tried to cram one more book into the backpack

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2
as in to fill
to put into (something) as much as can be held or contained crammed his mouth with candy

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3
as in to stuff
to fill with food to capacity one of those eating contests in which competitors attempt to cram themselves with as many hot dogs as they can in three minutes

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4
as in to devour
to swallow or eat greedily the thoughtless guest crammed a dinner that had taken hours to prepare

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cram
Noun
Her lips were forced back by a cram of crooked fangs. — Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026 Tangent time, spinning off this specific expansion (and recalling those who forever want to cram uninspiring Power 4 teams into college football’s championship systems). — Jason Kirk, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Verb
The roommates’ incompatible goals and perennial brokeness lead to side-splitting conflicts, with Shelby cramming for her GED while Kaitlin’s greatest ambition is to throw an epic island party. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 Winding alleys house artisan workshops and squat homes crammed with prop cooking utensils, and down one street stands a sept that resembles a Romanesque church. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cram
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cram
  1. swarm
  2. squeeze
  3. fill
  4. stuff
  5. devour
  6. throng
  7. load
  8. pack
Noun
  • The growth of agentic AI and the rise of cyber hacks orchestrated by agents are forcing companies to invest in more tools to manage swarms of new identities.
    — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • This phrase is a complicated way of simply acknowledging the fact that Pluto sits within the Kuiper Belt, a vast swarm of bodies that go around the sun in similar orbits beyond Neptune.
    — Mike Brown, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of swarm
Verb
  • These portable, lightweight bands squeeze easily into a suitcase and can be used to add resistance to body weight exercises.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Job seekers in South Florida are navigating a tricky mix of stubborn inflation, high interest rates and an AI shift that’s squeezing entry-level hiring.
    — Jessica Lipscomb, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • Gleaming marble basins filled with floating flowers sit comfortably with antique stone tubs that used to hold olive oil back in the day.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • If the market reaches equilibrium, those will need to be filled to prevent the next crisis.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of fill
Verb
  • On a recent afternoon, the lanky, mustachioed Zucker, wearing a T-shirt, ballcap and small hoop earrings, bears little resemblance to his comic alter ego who sports a tattered suit with gag props stuffed in every pocket.
    — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Thin-shelled yet not overly delicate, stuffed with amarena cherry-scented light ricotta bookended by bitter dark chocolate chips.
    — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of stuff
Verb
  • The larvae come from the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly, which invades open wounds or the mucous membranes of body openings in any warm-blooded animal, including humans, and devours tissue, causing the wounds to become increasingly deep and painful.
    — Abraham Tellez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The Milky Way has something of a torrid and violent history, given that our galaxy has fueled its own growth by cannibalistically devouring smaller galaxies.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of devour
Noun
  • Why then, are throngs of armchair analysts online pointing fingers at her ex-husband, Patrick, blaming him for the deaths?
    — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The new 47-key Orient Express Venezia is an experience, housed within Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in the oldest and northernmost Cannaregio district, drawing high-end travelers away from the throngs.
    — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of throng
Verb
  • The Buckeyes are loaded, even though the program lost four standouts within the NFL Draft’s first 11 picks.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Pack the car in reverse order, so the last box loaded is the first one your student needs.
    — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of load
Verb
  • More than 100 galleries alone are packed onto historic Canyon Road, a pedestrian-friendly half-mile stretch of road that is about a 10-minute walk east of the plaza.
    — Dan Fellner, AZCentral.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • His primary business is in almonds — farming, shelling and packing several thousands acres.
    — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of pack

Browse Nearby Words

crakes
cram
crammed
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Cite this Entry

“Cram.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cram. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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