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
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026
The album’s maximalist approach, combining an array of live instruments, VSTs, and samplers, sometimes coheres into true jams.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 7 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
Double jams Trevon Brazile got the home crowd stoked with his first pair of buckets, both of which came after misses by teammates with his work in the offensive glass space.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 4 Jan. 2026
Following her 2024 debut solo EP, No Hard Feelings, the member of hitmaking British girl group Little Mix unveils a set of pop and R&B jams steeped in her Caribbean heritage.
—Dan Reilly, Vulture, 30 Dec. 2025
Dance the night away to jams by DJ Kaylyke.
—Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Dec. 2025
The former Indiana Hoosier has had over 100 dunks in each of his first two NBA seasons, and has 15 jams in just 19 games this season.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2025
More than a dozen local vendors will offer meats, pies, wine, jams, body care and pet treats.
—Debra Skodack, Kansas City Star, 17 Dec. 2025
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
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
The album’s maximalist approach, combining an array of live instruments, VSTs, and samplers, sometimes coheres into true jams.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 7 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
Double jams Trevon Brazile got the home crowd stoked with his first pair of buckets, both of which came after misses by teammates with his work in the offensive glass space.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 4 Jan. 2026
Following her 2024 debut solo EP, No Hard Feelings, the member of hitmaking British girl group Little Mix unveils a set of pop and R&B jams steeped in her Caribbean heritage.
—Dan Reilly, Vulture, 30 Dec. 2025
Dance the night away to jams by DJ Kaylyke.
—Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Dec. 2025
The former Indiana Hoosier has had over 100 dunks in each of his first two NBA seasons, and has 15 jams in just 19 games this season.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2025
More than a dozen local vendors will offer meats, pies, wine, jams, body care and pet treats.
—Debra Skodack, Kansas City Star, 17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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
-
The result has been a seemingly endless run of East Washington Street roadwork and traffic snarls from Alabama Street downtown to I-465.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
25 Sep. 2025
-
There was talk of traffic snarls and strain on the power grid.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Working in batches if needed, arrange pickles in a single layer in air-fryer basket (do not overcrowd).—
Holly Riordan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Along with the usual lettuce, tomato and mayo, the inaugural customer creation, introduced for a limited time in July 2025, dressed the brand’s staple burger patty and bun with American cheese, bacon, crispy onions, and pickles with golden onion rings and a smoky BBQ sauce.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The order now blocks a previous ruling by a Rhode Island judge that required the payments to be paid out by Friday night, NBC News notes.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
-
If the customer does not recognize the purchase, the bank blocks the transaction.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Despite taking in eight to 12 tractor trailer loads a day, Cooper said the demand for food items is greater than the supply, so the inventory is starting to shrink.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
4 Nov. 2025
-
At the Guigò Lab of the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona, a technician loads a sample into a genome sequencing machine.—
Glenn Zorpette,
IEEE Spectrum,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The domino effect pushes deliveries out, forces expensive air freight, and overloads suppliers.—
Raj Dhiman,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Nov. 2025
-
During times of high geomagnetic activity, which pushes the northern lights further south, the aurora will be visible directly overhead in the northern United States, according to the prediction center.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Brooks’s screenplay makes ample space to dump praise upon its protagonist while bemoaning her many predicaments.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
-
But this is just one of the many predicaments of writing memoir.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Moreover, the study’s methodology crams certain ideologies under one umbrella that otherwise would not fit neatly into a political classification.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
22 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,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jams. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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