cramps 1 of 3

noun (1)

plural of cramp
as in contractions
a painful sudden tightening of a muscle I was suddenly awakened by a cramp in my leg

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cramps

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of cramp
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cramps

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of cramp
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

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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 cramps
Noun
People who have been infected with salmonella may experience diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, usually six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria, health officials said. — Victoria Craw, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026 The most common symptoms include fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. — Renee Anderson, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Over 500 people in South Africa have fallen ill from a gastrointestinal illness that causes stomach cramps and diarrhea, which authorities are blaming on poor water quality in two different cities in the country. — ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026 Coach Bill Self remained upbeat afterward despite starter Taylen Kinney being limited to just six second-half minutes because of cramps. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026 There is no vaccine for the illness, which can cause stomach cramps and diarrhea. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026 An April report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracked nearly 17,000 Shigella samples, which causes Shigellosis, which and can bring on diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, collected between 2011 and 2023. — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 Richland lost a 45-42 heartbreaker to Highland Park at Birdville FA/AC after UCLA commit Jayshon Gibson — who piled up 273 rushing yards and five total touchdowns — left the game with cramps late in the fourth quarter. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026 But eating too much fiber too quickly can cause gastrointestinal (GI) distress or cramps. — Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 2 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cramps
  1. stitches
  2. obstacles
  3. hinders
  4. spasms
  5. hurdles
  6. hampers
  7. kinks
  8. embarrassments
Noun
  • Levine praises a call from Israel’s president Levine was recovering Sunday from injuries that included what appeared to be stab wounds in her buttocks, which required stitches.
    — Cara Anna, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Levine was recovering Sunday from injuries that included what appeared to be stab wounds in her buttocks, which required stitches.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of stitches
Noun
  • Icy weather, snowstorms, obstructive foliage and rugged terrain along the wild Rockies were just some of the obstacles Ben Nickell and Anne Koski faced on a 10-year journey to climb the highest point in each of Idaho’s 44 counties.
    — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Long before launch, the team faced obstacles that nearly thwarted the endeavor — chiefly, two rejections from NASA — before finally securing the green light for the $1 billion project under the New Frontiers Program in 2011.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of obstacles
Verb
  • That change in mindset alone can reduce the frustration that so often hinders AI adoption inside organizations.
    — Doron Sitbon, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Brazil’s internal fragmentation hinders international cooperation, too.
    — MATIAS SPEKTOR, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of hinders
Noun
  • Sensitivity to noise, touch and emotional distress can set off muscle spasms, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Witt dealt with back spasms and a knee sprain during the summer.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of spasms
Noun
  • Those changes have created new hurdles for enrollment, according to experts.
    — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • However, even if Tesla’s shareholders were to approve the merger, there are potentially regulatory hurdles abroad.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of hurdles
Verb
  • But the inability a company to buy ads hampers a campaign’s visibility and removes a key tool that studios use to spread the word about a movie currently in theaters.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
  • This lushness is truly remarkable on an island known for its volcanic soil, which traditionally hampers plant growth.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of hampers
Noun
  • Trump continues to argue that America’s top priority is investing in AI innovation, not probing US frontier labs working out the kinks at breakneck speeds.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 15 Oct. 2026
  • This is to say nothing about gender, kinks, preferences, fluidity, and other nuanced things that complicate sexuality.
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of kinks
Noun
  • Sitting around a table in the soundstage where the pilot for I Love Lucy was filmed, the six of them tailored the roles to the actors and infused the script with arguments, embarrassments, and confessions from their own relationships.
    — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 26 June 2026
  • The order to whitewash America’s historic sites of anything less than rosy about the nation’s past has led to some predictable embarrassments.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
Definition of embarrassments

Browse Nearby Words

cramp one's style
cramps
cramps one's style
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Cite this Entry

“Cramps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cramps. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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