JAMS Synonyms: 148 Similar and Opposite Words

jams 1 of 2

noun

Definition of jams

plural of jam

as in snarls

a crowded mass (as of cars) that impedes or blocks movement thousands of cars trying to leave the stadium's parking lot at the same time are sure to create a jam

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Relevance

as in pickles

a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape the heavy rain puts us in a real jam: all of the preparations are for a garden wedding

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jams

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of jam

as in stuffs

to fit (people or things) into a tight space jammed his clothes into the already bulging hamper

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as in blocks

to prevent passage through by filling with something firefighters found the nightclub's doorways jammed with trapped patrons

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in loads

to put into (something) as much as can be held or contained the inn will jam a guest's picnic basket with an array of tempting foods

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in pushes

to force one's way several more people jammed into the bus even though there was hardly room to stand

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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 jams

Noun

Contemporary jazz saxophonist Braxton Cooke will open, and undoubtedly find his way back on stage for a few jams. — Greg Carannante, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026 Its brands include Folgers coffee, Jif peanut butter and Smucker's jams and jellies. — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026 The easiest way to differentiate between jams, preserves, and fruit spreads is by the texture of the fruit. — Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2026 Last month, at the Earl Scruggs Music Festival in Western North Carolina, MGU rolled through an hour-long set of new material from Appalachian Smoke and intricate improvisational jams. — Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2026 The only problem is that the lyrics aren’t really more comprehensible than actual Katseye jams. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2026 Most hoppers require you to place your bills as neat and evenly as possible to avoid jams and other issues, but better hoppers give you some wiggle room. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026 If the party gets a little too wild, and someone knocks the jams into the drink, don't worry. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026 Fortunately, that’s weapon enough, as Yeoh’s action prowess is well used in Sethi’s pulse-pounding thriller with a killer soundtrack, including jams by Irish rockers Thin Lizzy. — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026

Verb

Responding to these calls also jams up staff and vehicles, increasing emergency response times for the rest of the city. — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 23 Sep. 2026 Bugs Bunny jams himself against the edge and grits his teeth in agony. — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 Keanu Reeves jams out with his band, Dogstar, at their concert at Carlswerk Victoria in Cologne, Germany on July 2. — Brendan Le Updated, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026 That crud jams up the works of your coffee maker, slows brewing down, and impacts the taste of your morning brew. — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026 The move effectively jams the upper chamber by including the repeal in the funding package without the necessary time to reverse course, giving the Senate no option but to approve it. — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026 Traffic regularly jams the freeway into the city, and residents fight over efforts to build more homes. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025 Someone breaks in, someone jams the signal from the home’s alarm system, someone monitors police radio traffic. — Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Aug. 2025 After Dex takes her down, Weyland recovers her brain and jams it into a supercomputer. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for jams

Noun

Around her, Youth builds an impressively frantic web of relationships and plot snarls.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
This year’s Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer with closures, travel snarls and record gas prices in California.

— Vince Basada, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of snarls

Verb

The suspect runs inside, grabs rolls of lottery tickets, stuffs them into a bag and runs out.

— Tara Lynch, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Once a seasonal delicacy, Jimmy’s sources squash blossoms ($25) year-round, stuffs them with ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano and lightly batters and fries them.

— Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of stuffs

Verb

These improvements are intended to help military forces transport larger loads more efficiently and support operational demands across a range of environments.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2026
When your site loads quickly, visitors may stay longer, browse more and be more likely to convert.

— Anthony Savino, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of loads

Noun

In the event of a severe winter or import bottlenecks, depressed storage levels not only narrow Europe's capacity to absorb supply shocks but also risk driving natural gas prices higher.

— , CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Yet much of the current inflation comes from supply shocks, such as the Iran war’s disruption to oil and gas supplies, and higher interest rates can’t address those bottlenecks.

— Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of bottlenecks

Noun

The relentless rain associated with Hurricane Isaias didn’t stop some hikers from venturing onto trails and greenways in North Carolina, leading to life-threatening predicaments, officials say.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
On the screen, in a series of daredevil adventures, the actor had extricated himself from a hundred impossible predicaments.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026