as in stitch
a painful sudden tightening of a muscle
I was suddenly awakened by a cramp in my leg
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
an antismoking ordinance that was seen as just another cramp on business by bar owners
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to impede
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
having to constantly entertain guests at the summer cottage was really cramping my writing efforts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cramp
Dallas Morning News, 25 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner was saved by extreme heat rules in the third set of his match while limping and desperately trying to stretch out cramps in his arms and legs.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Rana Good, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2026
Every muscle in my body was cramping by the end of that race.
—Outside Online, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cramp
Noun
Defensive end Kobie Turner (cramps) also exited in the third.
—Dallas Morning News, 25 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner was saved by extreme heat rules in the third set of his match while limping and desperately trying to stretch out cramps in his arms and legs.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
Gone are the days when working out at a hotel meant using outdated machines in a stuffy, cramped gym; today’s top properties are re-thinking fitness as a central park of the guest experience, designing trails, courts, and classes to immerse them in more natural surroundings.
—Rana Good, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2026
Every muscle in my body was cramping by the end of that race.
—Outside Online, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cramp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cramp
Verb
-
Homan said there will be zero tolerance for interfering, impeding or assaulting officers.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
30 Jan. 2026
-
While parking in the driveway may be convenient, cars cannot block the sidewalk or impede pedestrians passing by.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The instigators were allowed to go beyond peaceful protests to hindering law enforcement from doing their job which escalated with the result of two people tragically losing their lives.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
1 Feb. 2026
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Outdoor air quality and temperature are key—clean, cool air can help, but polluted or overly dry air can hinder sleep.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Such giants have been hampered by worries that their stock prices shot too high and became too expensive following their years-long dominance of the market.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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Speaking outside the downtown Los Angeles courthouse, Lemon said his arrest would not hamper his work in the press.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The assignment is to sit there and talk about it in public and possibly embarrass yourself by getting into a verbal confrontation in front of a restaurant of otherwise uninterested bystanders.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Recently, Ryan spoke about the Beckham situation, the process of writing material as a mother without embarrassing her kids and her new goal of returning to the career trajectory of her pre-pregnant self in the near future.—
Deputy Entertainment,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The kangaroo was reportedly obstructing highway traffic in Nelson County, Virginia.—
Martin Weil,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
-
David Schenker, senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, testified that while Hezbollah has been weakened militarily, the pace of disarmament remains slow and obstructed.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But that would still leave Oviedo, Crawford and Sandoval locked in a battle for the final rotation spot, which will be difficult to handicap considering both Crawford and Sandoval missed all of last season due to injury.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
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The unions are also worried that that administration plan to allow tokenization of financial products could handicap the SEC’s authority to regulate securities, which would also create new risks for Americans’ retirement savings and investments.—
Talia Kaplan,Eric Rosenbaum,
CNBC,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cramp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cramp. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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