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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of cramps
Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Right guard Kevin Dotson battled cramps against the Eagles and was out for the second block.
—Nate Atkins, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
For muscle cramps, spray on the affected area as needed.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2025
Of 255 clinic websites analyzed, more than half offered IV hydration therapy touting therapies like magnesium for headaches and muscle cramps, glutathione as a potential immune system booster, or other substances advertised to increase energy.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 6 Oct. 2025
Some people consider dark chocolate a natural remedy for period cramps and pain.
—Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
In addition to menstrual cramps, patients may also experience headache, dizziness, lower back pain, nausea and vomiting during a painful period.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
That’s why dehydration can show up as muscle cramps, dizziness or even an irregular heartbeat.
—Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
No official guidelines exist for magnesium dosage specifically for period cramps.
—Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
Typical symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.
—Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Right guard Kevin Dotson battled cramps against the Eagles and was out for the second block.
—Nate Atkins, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
For muscle cramps, spray on the affected area as needed.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2025
Of 255 clinic websites analyzed, more than half offered IV hydration therapy touting therapies like magnesium for headaches and muscle cramps, glutathione as a potential immune system booster, or other substances advertised to increase energy.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 6 Oct. 2025
Some people consider dark chocolate a natural remedy for period cramps and pain.
—Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
In addition to menstrual cramps, patients may also experience headache, dizziness, lower back pain, nausea and vomiting during a painful period.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
That’s why dehydration can show up as muscle cramps, dizziness or even an irregular heartbeat.
—Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
No official guidelines exist for magnesium dosage specifically for period cramps.
—Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cramps
Verb
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In addition to delivering high-quality search results, this method hinders search-engine cheating; artificially boosting your web page by putting up a thousand pages linking to it won’t accomplish much if those pages have low status.—
Jack Murtagh,
Scientific American,
11 Oct. 2025
-
This hinders the seamless experience essential for mass EV adoption.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Let go of whatever impedes your growth and progress.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
These early shifts—less COVID vaccination; fewer options for flu, MMR, and chickenpox vaccines; and, perhaps soon, delays to the hepatitis-B schedule—may seem benign enough.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
18 Sep. 2025
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Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.—
Jeremy Tanner,
The Hill,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cramps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cramps. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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