1
as in confined
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in constricted
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in hampered
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
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 cramped
Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
An intense paint color can also make an often small space, such as a bathroom, feel even more cramped and humid.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2026
The dynamic keeps the film from ever feeling too cramped or quiet, and the characters from ever being held at too far a remove.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
The defendants’ family members jockeyed for spots in the cramped space.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2026
Potterheads across the globe will instantly recognize Harry’s not-so-homely house on Privet Drive, his cramped excuse of a bedroom and the endless disdain oozing from the young wizard’s unloving aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley.
—Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
This summer, Dallas must better balance its roster around Flagg so he won’t be asked to maneuver on such a cramped floor again.
—Christian Clark, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Poor Space Planning Awkward door swings, insufficient clearance, poor storage options, or improper placement of vanities and toilets make any bathroom feel cramped and inconvenient.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 9 Mar. 2026
Cue the aforementioned wedding, lavish but hastily put together, and a sudden, drastic change in lifestyle, as she and Junyang are forced to live under the same roof as Boon Kiat and Bee Hwa, a cramped and fractious arrangement even before the baby’s arrival.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Feb. 2026
Samara Karasyk, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
The 14-inch LCD screen offers a 1366-by-768 HD-ready resolution and was a little cramped for multiple windows.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
Slim-profile seating reads as elegant rather than cramped.
—Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
Our house is small, but it’s not cramped.
—Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
The Mercury and Gemini spacecraft were too cramped to change clothing, so on those early missions, the crew members remained in their pressure suits.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
At the time, many people who had previously toiled in the fields shifted to working long shifts in cramped, and often dangerous manufacturing and textile facilities while increasingly resenting the industrialists who owned the factories.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
The result is a bedroom that feels calm and uncluttered — not cramped.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
The layout of these facilities is also cramped, complicating maintenance work.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Thirty minutes before the start of the Gaston County Schools board meeting, attendees already spilled out of the boardroom and into the cramped hallway.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
An intense paint color can also make an often small space, such as a bathroom, feel even more cramped and humid.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2026
The dynamic keeps the film from ever feeling too cramped or quiet, and the characters from ever being held at too far a remove.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
The defendants’ family members jockeyed for spots in the cramped space.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2026
Potterheads across the globe will instantly recognize Harry’s not-so-homely house on Privet Drive, his cramped excuse of a bedroom and the endless disdain oozing from the young wizard’s unloving aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley.
—Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
This summer, Dallas must better balance its roster around Flagg so he won’t be asked to maneuver on such a cramped floor again.
—Christian Clark, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Poor Space Planning Awkward door swings, insufficient clearance, poor storage options, or improper placement of vanities and toilets make any bathroom feel cramped and inconvenient.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 9 Mar. 2026
Cue the aforementioned wedding, lavish but hastily put together, and a sudden, drastic change in lifestyle, as she and Junyang are forced to live under the same roof as Boon Kiat and Bee Hwa, a cramped and fractious arrangement even before the baby’s arrival.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
The corridor is cramped, chaotic, and difficult for people to navigate.
—Samara Karasyk, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
The 14-inch LCD screen offers a 1366-by-768 HD-ready resolution and was a little cramped for multiple windows.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
Slim-profile seating reads as elegant rather than cramped.
—Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
Our house is small, but it’s not cramped.
—Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
The Mercury and Gemini spacecraft were too cramped to change clothing, so on those early missions, the crew members remained in their pressure suits.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
At the time, many people who had previously toiled in the fields shifted to working long shifts in cramped, and often dangerous manufacturing and textile facilities while increasingly resenting the industrialists who owned the factories.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
The result is a bedroom that feels calm and uncluttered — not cramped.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
The layout of these facilities is also cramped, complicating maintenance work.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cramped
Adjective
-
For instance, light particles like positrons (or electrons, in this experiment) need extremely fast oscillations, gigahertz (GHz) frequencies, to stay confined.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Diners are there to enjoy a nice, relaxing meal, but some dogs, especially very large dogs or multiple dogs, can be a handful in small, confined spaces.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Abreu came through again with a sacrifice fly to score Jarren Duran in the bottom of the inning, but the potential Red Sox rally was hampered after Willson Contreras was thrown out at second trying to stretch a single into a double for the inning’s first out.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
8 May 2026
-
The wear and tear of lengthy overtimes also hampered the Mammoth’s skaters.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Wulf struck out eight without a walk and limited Sycamore (16-4) to one hit in her three innings.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
-
Race, bad bosses and the fly-on-the-wall fun of watching office politics and micro-aggressions play out makes this workplace suspense novel a total page-turner (as well as a binge-worthy limited television series).—
Laura Zigman,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
The Catholic-Protestant divide impeded North American solidarity.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
GasBuddy expects that if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked or significantly impeded through Memorial Day, the national average price of gas could surpass the all‑time record of $5 per gallon.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Fitzgerald testified that death row is a more restricted and structured environment in which inmates stay at the same prison, live in a cell by themselves and are under much tighter security.—
Amy McDaniel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 May 2026
-
Oil prices remain over $100 a barrel due to the restricted passage of shipping through the conduit, with Meyer acknowledging that the wider air freight market is seeing demand destruction based on current price levels.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Nearly 9 in 10 workers said burnout has hindered their productivity.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Rams boss Les Snead and Chiefs leadership tandem Andy Reid and Brett Veach don’t seem hindered by obstacles either, despite later draft slots and paying future Hall of Fame quarterbacks.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Rebecca Green, a law professor and director of the Election Law Program at William & Mary Law School in Virginia, said the court there rejected the redistricting plan based on narrow grounds pertaining to Virginia law on amending the state Constitution, which doesn’t apply in California.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
Their job is to create a fire line, clearing a narrow strip of land down to soil and removing flammable vegetation to help slow or stop the fire's spread.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
That this series has flipped on its head seemed almost impossible last Sunday, when the Celtics embarrassed Philadelphia in a Game 4 win on the Sixers’ home floor.—
Tobias Bass,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
The Mets were embarrassed by the Washington Nationals in an 14-2 blowout to even up the series at one game apiece.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cramped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cramped. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
