as in squeezing
to fit (people or things) into a tight space
managed to wedge one last book onto the bookshelf
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Recent Examples of wedging
The big question Can Winnipeg defy expectations, wedging open a window that looks slammed shut?
—
Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 19 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
Water flossers can help remove impacted food from around bridges and wires, places where wedging floss might be uncomfortable or difficult.
—Anne Ewbank, Popular Science, 1 Apr. 2026
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
The couple often kept the window closed by wedging a pole into the window track, records show, but knew that some of the children in the home had learned how to remove it the previous December.
—Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2026
Yet more squatters arrived, wedging homes and alleys into the most improbable gaps.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
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
Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 19 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
Water flossers can help remove impacted food from around bridges and wires, places where wedging floss might be uncomfortable or difficult.
—Anne Ewbank, Popular Science, 1 Apr. 2026
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
The couple often kept the window closed by wedging a pole into the window track, records show, but knew that some of the children in the home had learned how to remove it the previous December.
—Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2026
Yet more squatters arrived, wedging homes and alleys into the most improbable gaps.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wedging
Verb
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Carting around unhappy campers in 100-degree weather and squeezing work into a shorter window is not exactly being poolside with a marg.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
4 June 2026
-
The defense is disciplined, squeezing pressure from its trio of wings.—
Esfandiar Baraheni,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
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That’s cramming too many homes on limited acreage, especially in an area where traffic is already dangerous because of so many new developments, two neighbors told the board to applause from the Town Hall audience.—
Joe Marusak
May 27,
Charlotte Observer,
27 May 2026
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Clark agreed with Reinhart’s observations, but warned that the four-day workweek wasn’t so much as cramming a 40-hour week into four days as a genuine reduction to 32 hours, one that respected an employee’s life outside of work.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
Verb
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On Friday, agents observed a man loading heavy items into a van outside the store and then driving to a nearby mechanic’s shop.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
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After loading the bases with no outs in the first inning Monday, two strikeouts followed.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Movie theaters across the nation were jamming with Gen Z crowds, who showed up en masse for not one but two buzzy horror films.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
31 May 2026
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Acknowledging the growing threat of Ukraine’s deep strikes, Russian lawmakers this week approved a bill that says the country’s banks should bear the cost of installing drone-jamming systems on their premises, rather than rely on the military.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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That said, Murden is sure to use it on nights when skin feels hydrated—sandwiching the retinal in between a nourishing toner and occlusive face cream for good measure.—
Beatrice Zocchi,
Vogue,
25 May 2026
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Then, a foot or so off the ground, weave string between the plants (around the front of the first plant, then the back of the second plant, and so on), ultimately sandwiching the plants between the taut string.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wedging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wedging. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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