as in contractions
a painful sudden tightening of a muscle
I was suddenly awakened by a cramp in my leg
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in obstacles
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 hinders
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 cramps
Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025
Symptoms may include diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches or other ailments.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Stevia can cause side effects like stomach pain, cramps, nausea, vomiting, bloating, or gas.
—Merve Ceylan, Health, 3 Nov. 2025
When bitten by the southern black widow, the spider’s venom attacks the nerve endings in muscles that can cause severe pain and muscle cramps at the source of the bite, which can then spread throughout the body.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 31 Oct. 2025
There was a real question how the impact of him being on base nine times and the accompanying leg cramps that plagued him late in extra innings would affect his stamina less than 24 hours later.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Herman, who left the game for two plays with cramps, scored on a 43-yard run, sweeping to the right end and scoring untouched, The final LCC score came on a 40-yard interception return by Ethan Polloreno.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025
Salmonella infection can cause stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting and fever.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
Kansas Jayhawks freshman point guard Darryn Peterson, who played just five minutes in the second half of KU’s Monday season opener against Green Bay because of a recurring bout with cramps, practiced Tuesday night and again Wednesday.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025
Symptoms may include diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches or other ailments.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Stevia can cause side effects like stomach pain, cramps, nausea, vomiting, bloating, or gas.
—Merve Ceylan, Health, 3 Nov. 2025
When bitten by the southern black widow, the spider’s venom attacks the nerve endings in muscles that can cause severe pain and muscle cramps at the source of the bite, which can then spread throughout the body.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 31 Oct. 2025
There was a real question how the impact of him being on base nine times and the accompanying leg cramps that plagued him late in extra innings would affect his stamina less than 24 hours later.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Herman, who left the game for two plays with cramps, scored on a 43-yard run, sweeping to the right end and scoring untouched, The final LCC score came on a 40-yard interception return by Ethan Polloreno.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025
Salmonella infection can cause stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting and fever.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cramps
Verb
-
The Martian atmosphere presents a major obstacle to safely and precisely landing on the surface, and also hinders any attempts to return contents (or people) back to Earth.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Therefore, the siloed nature of retail, not a lack of skills or resources, will prove to be the most significant barrier that hinders progress.—
Raj Dhiman,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Damage to the blood-brain barrier leads to inflammation within the brain and hampers the clearance of waste products like beta-amyloid protein (seen in Alzheimer's disease).—
Colleen Doherty,
Verywell Health,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Let go of whatever impedes your progress and growth.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
22 Oct. 2025
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If a mental image only impedes the human’s process of emulation, why should her mindedness make Celmins’s web less natural than the spider’s?—
Harmon Siegel,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Department officials later told her in texts and emails that delays completing the more detailed review of Rochelle’s home were her fault.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
-
But that was before the arrival of teplizumab, a monoclonal antibody approved in late 2022 that delays the advance of the illness and may even halt it at stage 2 in some people.—
Tara Haelle,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cramps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cramps. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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