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
Earlier that day, Manchester United recognised the same — shoehorning 18-year-old midfielder Jack Fletcher into the squad to keep alive a record 4,332 successive games which featured an academy graduate in their first-team squad.
—
Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoehorning
Verb
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More people and new developments are cramming into Florida’s last-remaining greenspace, Lindsey O’Donnell said.—
Abigail Hasebroock,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Jan. 2026
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Tens of thousands of residents are living with relatives, cramming into rental apartments or living in public buildings.—
Aref Tufaha,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Fresh spinach requires large quantities and multiple steps—blanching, shocking, and squeezing—just to yield a usable amount.—
Amber Love Bond,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
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The bus ended up completely packed, everyone squeezing together in their parkas like a bunch of marshmallows.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Adding 1/2 cup to your washer drum before loading in dirty laundry will help boost the cleaning properties of your detergent.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
17 Jan. 2026
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Caron added that the crew member involved was reportedly assisting ground staff by loading items as an extra set of hands and may have been left unaccounted for when the doors closed.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Video showed federal agents on Tuesday breaking the passenger side window of the car while attempting to stop the female driver, who appeared to be wedging agents between her vehicle and another car blocking the road.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
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Eggers' stunning visuals and meticulous pace draw viewers into their increasingly desperate mania, gradually wedging open the door between rational interpretation and supernatural inescapability.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shoehorning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoehorning. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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