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
Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
Without proper hydration, fibermaxxing can cause constipation, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, bloating and gas, Syn said.
—Renée Onque, CNBC, 16 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
Unused to the diet, heat and poor hygiene, Ramírez fell ill, though neither diarrhea nor stomach cramps prevented him from complaining vociferously about his accommodation, arguing with his instructors about tactics and questioning his hosts’ more grandiose claims of military prowess.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
Without proper hydration, fibermaxxing can cause constipation, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, bloating and gas, Syn said.
—Renée Onque, CNBC, 16 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Gone are the days when working out at a hotel meant using outdated machines in a stuffy, cramped gym; today’s top properties are re-thinking fitness as a central park of the guest experience, designing trails, courts, and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
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Homan said there will be zero tolerance for interfering, impeding or assaulting officers.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
30 Jan. 2026
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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
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Normally, scent voices are mere whispers compared to the screams and angry shouts of humans, but in that section, certain sensitive plant species shrieked incessantly because of their proximity to plants that hindered their growth.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
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Among the factors hindering higher youth participation, CIRCLE research shows, include confusing registration deadlines and requirements, a lack of youth outreach and a dearth of regular curriculum that teaches young people about elections and voting in school.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Although weather conditions in Charlotte improved Monday, the aftermath of the storm continued to hamper travel plans, resulting in an additional 700 cancellations and 465 delays.—
Chase Jordan
January 27,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Jan. 2026
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Read the Story US airlines are still paring back flights as a deep freeze hampers the restart of operations at some major hubs.—
Jordan Erb,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Organizers stressed that legal observers are there to witness and document, not to negotiate with agents or to obstruct.—
Laurie Perez,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Lake Superior and Lake Michigan are expected to experience high waves and damaging ice accumulation onto vessels, and central Michigan is under a flood warning due to ice jams that could obstruct the waterways, causing flooding, according to the NWS.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
27 Jan. 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 1 Feb. 2026.
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