cramming

present participle of cram
1
as in squeezing
to fit (people or things) into a tight space tried to cram one more book into the backpack

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2
3
as in gorging
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 inhaling
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 cramming That’s cramming too many homes on limited acreage, especially in an area where traffic is already dangerous because of so many new developments, two neighbors told the board to applause from the Town Hall audience. Joe Marusak may 27, Charlotte Observer, 27 May 2026 Clark agreed with Reinhart’s observations, but warned that the four-day workweek wasn’t so much as cramming a 40-hour week into four days as a genuine reduction to 32 hours, one that respected an employee’s life outside of work. Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 20 May 2026 But the line is shifting towards the Mediterranean Sea, cramming Gaza’s population into a shrinking strip of land. Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 14 May 2026 Instead of cramming an itinerary, dark sky travelers often build trips around a single celestial event or a multi-night stay somewhere remote enough to actually see the stars. Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 12 May 2026 The first trimester Maple prides herself on cramming her schedule with meetings, juggling multiple tasks and constantly being on the go. Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2026 If a dozen new works over four days isn’t enough, try cramming 50 plays by 50 playwrights into a single day. Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 1 May 2026 The Halfday Convertible 2-in-1 Garment Duffel Bag will help avoid cramming extra clothes into your main bag, which usually leads to everything getting messy and disorganized. Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2026 Bring a lightweight coat with big pockets, and start cramming stuff into them. Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cramming
Verb
  • Carting around unhappy campers in 100-degree weather and squeezing work into a shorter window is not exactly being poolside with a marg.
    Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026
  • The defense is disciplined, squeezing pressure from its trio of wings.
    Esfandiar Baraheni, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • Finally, allow the solution to come to room temperature before filling your feeders.
    Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2026
  • Such scandals have put the spotlight on a murky (and growing) world of speculative, 24/7 transactions now filling the internet.
    Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • And all those who find the Dodgers’ gorging offensive also tend to overlook that their spending provides real benefits as well.
    Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
  • Of all the schemes that humans have devised to keep sea lions from gorging on the salmon of the Columbia River basin, none has worked for long.
    Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Take 30 to 40 deep cyclical breaths, inhaling fully into the belly and chest, exhaling without force.
    Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
  • People typically become infected with the virus by inhaling microscopic particles from these rodents' urine, feces or saliva, according to Stanford Health.
    Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Verb
  • Instead of the upbeat dance tune on the original recording, Kesha slowed it down, jamming along on an electric guitar with a deeper and booming instrumental track blaring throughout the venue.
    Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
  • From a tactical standpoint, the fort is unlikely to deter Hezbollah’s new crop of attack drones, which rely on fiber-optic cables and are impervious to jamming.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Verb
  • Keep scrolling for even more vacation-ready finds that’ll make packing for summer trips a whole lot easier — and, more importantly, far less expensive.
    Aashna Gheewalla, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
  • Originally a sweet rice fritter served with café au lait, Muhammad turned it savory, packing his batter with salmon for a more substantial bite.
    Jessi Roti, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 June 2026
Verb
  • The scene might be a reversal of this dynamic, with the monster devouring Clark in order to replace him.
    Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
  • By 2036, interest expense would jump from absorbing 14% of all revenues to devouring 30%, five points more than under the CBO’s forecast.
    Shawn Tully, Fortune, 30 May 2026
Verb
  • Sandwich had to switch pitchers in the eighth inning, and Hamilton-Wenham responded by loading the bases with no outs.
    Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 8 June 2026
  • The Mets put pressure on Vasquez by loading the bases with no outs.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 7 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cramming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cramming. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.

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