shoehorns

Definition of shoehornsnext
present tense third-person singular of shoehorn
as in crams
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

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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 shoehorns Disney is hardly new to the business of calculated nostalgia, but the way this film shoehorns in Chad Michael Murray’s character, Jake — despite it making zero plot sense to pull Anna’s former high school flame back into the story — seems particularly shameless. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoehorns
Verb
  • Instead, the show crams everything into a space that can't hold it, culminating in this past third season that exploded with too much of practically everything.
    Matthew Razak, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Television has always relied on big, gasp-inducing moments, but Murphy crams them in even at the expense of narrative cohesion.
    Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • All this requires a lot of power, which puts a strain on the grid and squeezes local resources.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Instead, in order to protect their identities, their words are read aloud during re-enactments by powerhouse actresses such as Emma Thompson (who squeezes herself beneath an axle) and Kate Dickie (performing, as the nurse, on all fours on Kenmure Street itself).
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Tramon Mark scores 21 points, Matas Vokietaitis (22 points) tops 20 points for the first time in SEC play, and Dailyn Swain stuffs the stat sheet with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
    Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 14 Jan. 2026
  • Unbeknownst to everyone else, Louise stuffs the turkey costumes with actual exploding meat guts meant to soak the audience in an effort to be released from school early.
    Lillian Brown, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2023
Verb
  • And the carne asada fries loads shredded cheese and carne asada onto a bed of french fries, topped with two salsas, sour cream, cilantro and onions.
    Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Attackers can hide instructions inside that address and make Copilot execute them as soon as the page loads.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Shoehorns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoehorns. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.

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