1
as in snarls
a crowded mass (as of cars) that impedes or blocks movement
thousands of cars trying to leave the stadium's parking lot at the same time are sure to create a jam
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in pickles
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
the heavy rain puts us in a real jam: all of the preparations are for a garden wedding
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
as in blocks
to prevent passage through by filling with something
firefighters found the nightclub's doorways jammed with trapped patrons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in loads
to put into (something) as much as can be held or contained
the inn will jam a guest's picnic basket with an array of tempting foods
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 jams
Lydia Bell, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
The initial drop of shelf-stable food products — including jams, teas, crêpe mix and flower sprinkles — has since expanded to include wines, candles and a limited edition leather bookmark.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
The fruit is often found in syrups, jams, sauces, and wine.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 19 Jan. 2026
Will Meghan's jams and candles sell even better under this new public relations relationship?
—Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 18 Jan. 2026
His father, who played in a party band, occasionally invited him to rehearsals, where Kwasniewski-Kelvin, then 12, would solo over the group’s blues and pop jams.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 12 Jan. 2026
Bob Weir, the guitarist and singer who as an essential member of the Grateful Dead helped found the sound of the San Francisco counterculture of the 1960s and kept it alive through decades of endless tours and marathon jams, has died.
—Andrew Dalton, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026
More than 200 producers sell seasonal fruit and vegetables, breads and cheeses of every kind, charcuterie, olives and tapenades, quiches, jams, and honey—and that's just the food section.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026
Alas, this isn’t an action movie crafted by Hollywood scriptwriters in which the protagonist always claws out of the most difficult jams.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Traffic regularly jams the freeway into the city, and residents fight over efforts to build more homes.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
Someone breaks in, someone jams the signal from the home’s alarm system, someone monitors police radio traffic.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Aug. 2025
After Dex takes her down, Weyland recovers her brain and jams it into a supercomputer.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
Eating well is a huge feature—from the perfect crepes, homemade jams and market fruit of breakfast to Dyades locavore menu, noted in the Michelin guide, which makes the herbs, flowers, fruit and vegetables from the kitchen garden shine.
—Lydia Bell, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
The initial drop of shelf-stable food products — including jams, teas, crêpe mix and flower sprinkles — has since expanded to include wines, candles and a limited edition leather bookmark.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
The fruit is often found in syrups, jams, sauces, and wine.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 19 Jan. 2026
Will Meghan's jams and candles sell even better under this new public relations relationship?
—Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 18 Jan. 2026
His father, who played in a party band, occasionally invited him to rehearsals, where Kwasniewski-Kelvin, then 12, would solo over the group’s blues and pop jams.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 12 Jan. 2026
Bob Weir, the guitarist and singer who as an essential member of the Grateful Dead helped found the sound of the San Francisco counterculture of the 1960s and kept it alive through decades of endless tours and marathon jams, has died.
—Andrew Dalton, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026
More than 200 producers sell seasonal fruit and vegetables, breads and cheeses of every kind, charcuterie, olives and tapenades, quiches, jams, and honey—and that's just the food section.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026
Alas, this isn’t an action movie crafted by Hollywood scriptwriters in which the protagonist always claws out of the most difficult jams.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Verb
The move effectively jams the upper chamber by including the repeal in the funding package without the necessary time to reverse course, giving the Senate no option but to approve it.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Traffic regularly jams the freeway into the city, and residents fight over efforts to build more homes.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
Someone breaks in, someone jams the signal from the home’s alarm system, someone monitors police radio traffic.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Aug. 2025
After Dex takes her down, Weyland recovers her brain and jams it into a supercomputer.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jams
Noun
-
Despite headwinds like tariffs, supply chain snarls and higher costs for solar panels and other components, Fishman said, the initiative is having an impact.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
And, two, worldwide supply chain snarls also stemming from the pandemic.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Serve it with or without a bun plus your favorite toppings like pickles, slaw, and extra sauce.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Sook by Maydan is offering a $ 15-per-person Dine LA lunch menu with a choice of beef wrap or chicken shish taouk wrap, served with house pickles, labneh spread, and a farmers market side salad.—
Kaila Yu,
Forbes.com,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Tramon Mark scores 21 points, Matas Vokietaitis (22 points) tops 20 points for the first time in SEC play, and Dailyn Swain stuffs the stat sheet with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Unbeknownst to everyone else, Louise stuffs the turkey costumes with actual exploding meat guts meant to soak the audience in an effort to be released from school early.—
Lillian Brown,
Vulture,
20 Nov. 2023
Verb
-
Police have reported three incidents, all of them just blocks from each other in the South Shore and Grand Crossing communities.—
Natalie Goldstick,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The 24-year-old succeeds against all three levels of the pass defense, blocks well against defensive backs and even front-seven defenders and runs for yards off jet-motion touches, screens and downfield passes.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The user fills the tumbler with water and ice, fits the tumbler with the Ecoldbrew machine, loads the bean hopper (capacity 25 g) with whole beans, uses the rotary dial to set their preferred grind, and enters the brew time on the LED touchscreen.—
Shirl Leigh
January 22,
New Atlas,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Simmer ingredients 6 to 7 hours, then blend 2 cups of the soup and return it to the slow cooker—this step thickens the soup without flour and loads it with even more flavor.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And while there's a chance the Fed cuts rates further and pushes down mortgage rates even more, the chances are low at its January meeting.—
Aly J Yale,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
At one point, one of them pushes a woman who was standing near Pretti to the ground.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Rustin has slyly given her script a focus on women’s needs and feelings, a welcome departure for a genre that usually is more concerned about the men’s predicaments.—
Matthew J. Palm,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
-
Brooks’s screenplay makes ample space to dump praise upon its protagonist while bemoaning her many predicaments.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Television has always relied on big, gasp-inducing moments, but Murphy crams them in even at the expense of narrative cohesion.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The Nutribullet Ultra crams a 1200-watt motor into its rather slim casing; that’s double the wattage of the Nutribullet Pro blender that’s a step down.—
Noah Kaufman,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jams. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
