Thesaurus results for SHOEHORNING

shoehorning

verb

present participle of shoehorn

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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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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoehorning

Verb

The network had a two-way smuggling route between Algeria and Spain, transporting drugs to the African nation and cramming boats with migrants for the return trip to Spanish coastal towns, Spain’s Civil Guard said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
The situation is also symptomatic of broader strains on the country's higher education system, where grossly limited spots leave millions cramming for months, or even years, and high-stakes entrance exams leave many of them burnt out and in debt.

— Sakshi Dayal, USA Today, 22 July 2026

Definition of cramming

Verb

Washington is trying to choke Iran's ability to get its crude out while Tehran is squeezing the artery through which everybody else's crude gets through.

— Frank Andrews, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Chances are you answer emails while sitting in meetings, listen to podcasts while exercising, scroll your phone while standing in line and congratulate ourselves for squeezing more into every hour.

— Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of squeezing

Verb

In response, Diez brought up Schaeffler’s plant in South Carolina, where Digit is working right now, loading greasy machine parts into an industrial washer.

— John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
The Red Sox were limited to one run in the bottom of the 11th despite loading the bases with one out.

— LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of loading

Verb

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
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

Definition of wedging

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shoehorned

shoehorning

shoehorns

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“Shoehorning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoehorning. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of shoehorning

verb

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