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.
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Recent Examples of jams
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
22 June 2026
Achieving it in reality would be brutally hard because the target moves, hides, jams, uses decoys, and fights back.
—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
Other Uses Yaupon is most commonly enjoyed as a tea, but it's also used in some gins, and foods like ice cream, plus the plant's ripe berries can be turned into jams and jellies.
—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
12 June 2026
The Reds hung on for just their third win in 12 games after their bullpen escaped the last of several late jams.
—
ABC News,
9 June 2026
My friend Bo Welden, a tour guide and photographer, also recommends being extra cautious around wildlife jams.
—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
8 June 2026
The Crusaders, who claimed a SoCal-record third regional title, racked up 14 hits but Payne worked out of several jams.
—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
7 June 2026
Barton recommends using them in recipes like jams, jellies, preserves, and smoothies where their softer texture won't be an issue.
—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
Three Twins relievers combined for seven strikeouts to get out of some jams over the last three innings and locked down a 6-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Target Field.
—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
3 June 2026
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
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
Noun
Steely and deliberate songwriting that casually staggers down the line between rhythm and melody, laced with loose yet conscious jams.
—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
22 June 2026
Achieving it in reality would be brutally hard because the target moves, hides, jams, uses decoys, and fights back.
—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
Other Uses Yaupon is most commonly enjoyed as a tea, but it's also used in some gins, and foods like ice cream, plus the plant's ripe berries can be turned into jams and jellies.
—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
12 June 2026
The Reds hung on for just their third win in 12 games after their bullpen escaped the last of several late jams.
—
ABC News,
9 June 2026
My friend Bo Welden, a tour guide and photographer, also recommends being extra cautious around wildlife jams.
—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
8 June 2026
The Crusaders, who claimed a SoCal-record third regional title, racked up 14 hits but Payne worked out of several jams.
—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
7 June 2026
Barton recommends using them in recipes like jams, jellies, preserves, and smoothies where their softer texture won't be an issue.
—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
Three Twins relievers combined for seven strikeouts to get out of some jams over the last three innings and locked down a 6-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Target Field.
—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
3 June 2026
Verb
That crud jams up the works of your coffee maker, slows brewing down, and impacts the taste of your morning brew.
—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
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
-
Be prepared for traffic snarls and multiple security checkpoints.
-
Drivers should brace for traffic snarls this summer when South Elgin’s State Street bridge over the Fox River is reduced to one lane for road resurfacing work.
Noun
-
Those with the most pickles by weight will face off for the title of Baron of Bobbing.
-
Layer the onions, 2 to 3 bacon pieces, and 2 to 3 pickles over the patty.
Verb
-
Throughout, visiting tourist Madeleine (Kristen Stewart) stuffs her face with every kind of meat, vegetable and carb while her father Phil (Woody Harrelson) is the one whose stomach miraculously swells.
-
At home, Jonathan Wright, director of the Indianapolis art museum's park and gardens, stuffs in the plants, stacks the pots, and lets everything grow.
Verb
-
The Earth’s atmosphere blocks most of the Sun’s radiation.
-
This could be an indication that the P-trap under the sink has dried out, which means water no longer blocks unpleasant smells from rising.
Verb
-
Heck, maybe Hiller loads up one line and plays Zuccarello, Matthews, and Nylander together.
-
No sauce makes for easier eating, but this spice rub still loads on the flavor.
Verb
-
Meta announced its new set of smart glasses priced at $299, undercutting some of its earlier models as the company pushes to bring wearables to a broader audience.
-
When an agent moves money inside a payments platform, alters a record in a hospital network or pushes code into production, the damage is harder to contain.
Noun
-
The system not only tells users that an asset needs resupply but can also identify potential bottlenecks and recommend alternative courses of action.
-
Supply chain bottlenecks throughout 2021 and 2022 in the later stages of the Covid-19 pandemic had clogged capacity on container vessels, further contributing to a shortage of space and containers that pushed ocean freight rates up to record levels.
Noun
-
Rather than bridging shortfalls, both Seattle and Washington now face more difficult fiscal predicaments, Joblon said.
-
The madman strategy is for not-crazy leaders caught in adverse predicaments.
Cite this Entry
“Jams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jams. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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