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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 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
-
The plush red seats of the Concertgebouw's main auditorium are occupied by students cramming for upcoming exams and finishing dissertations as classical music fills the hall.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Which is exactly why Paradise’s increasingly disruptive flirtations with time travel feel frustrating on a structural level, like the show is cramming another puzzle box inside the puzzle box.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Serve with garlic toasts and lemon wedges for squeezing over if desired.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Photos and video show the explorers squeezing through jagged crevices deep inside the karsts, using flashlights to guide them further along an otherwise pitch-black maze of rocky burrows.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Now someone posts on social media that COVID-19, tariffs, or the war with Iran is going to nuke toilet paper stock, and strangers across the country start loading up their carts.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
23 Mar. 2026
-
And loading large garbage bags into Gary's truck.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Tucson hit both vehicles and an unoccupied NYPD vehicle before finally coming to a stop after slamming into and wedging under an 18-wheel tractor-trailer.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
As Sundance became a global icon, part of its identity stemmed from wedging this gorilla of a festival into the birdcage of a tiny resort town.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shoehorning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoehorning. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
