as in cramming
to fit (people or things) into a tight space
the organizers of the county fair shoehorned the craft booths between the midway and the farm exhibits
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Recent Examples of shoehorning
No longer shoehorning into skates never made for her, the next version of someone else’s ideal.
—
Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoehorning
Verb
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At their core, Rush were always about glorious musical excess, routinely cramming more riffs and time signatures into single songs than some bands managed on entire albums.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
10 June 2026
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The two stayed up late into the night Monday, cramming information on each candidate.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Lightweight enough to toss into a carry-on, these slippers still have a durable sole, meaning quick trips to the airplane bathroom or hotel hallway don’t require squeezing back into shoes.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
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Americans are reeling from a cost-of-living crisis that’s squeezing even the biggest earners in the country.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
Verb
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To address this workflow conundrum, Maono has developed the P Series, which directly addresses this shift towards hybrid workflows and connectivity, where equipment needs to be streamlined for multi-device creation without loading on the technical complexity.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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Of course, Macy is not actually spending late nights at the distillery twisting knobs and loading the wash into fermenters.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Which West team has the best chance of wedging its way into the OKC-San Antonio tier?—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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The Cook County medical examiner’s office found that the fatal shot pierced Rivera’s skin near her left armpit and traveled through both her lungs, wedging itself in her ribs, autopsy records show.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shoehorning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoehorning. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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