shoehorn

Definition of shoehornnext
as in to cram
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 shoehorn There is a tradition, here at ye olde Wordplay, of trying to shoehorn as many jokes into a single article as possible. — Sam Corbin, New York Times, 26 May 2026 Too often, modern technologies, like inter-device connectivity and artificial intelligence, are shoehorned into gadgets that would be more intuitive to use, affordable, accessible, and/or durable without them. — ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026 In the meantime, without a spot to shoehorn in a Starliner docking, NASA nailed down its plans for cargo and crew missions for the remainder of 2026. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026 The easiest thing to do would have been to shoehorn one player into Arvidsson’s spot next to Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt. — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 29 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shoehorn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoehorn
Verb
  • Yet Abrams still won’t kvetch about being crammed into a tiny whale-stomach set with a camera crew, while a half-dozen crew members surrounding the practical gut, wielding a gimbal, tossed him around like a wet rag doll.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In 2013, Rana Plaza, a nine-story building crammed with garment factories outside the capital Dhaka, collapsed killing 1,100 people.
    — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Meta squeezes two independent light-guiding cores into a single standard glass strand to double its bandwidth.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Fuel expenses are squeezing daily household budgets and tightening cash flow toward the end of the month, with reports indicating a growing number of French employees are requesting payroll advances to manage month end expenses.
    — , CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Miami stopped on fourth down again Canes stuffed on fourth down for a second consecutive drive.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
  • On the first play, the Jayhawks stuffed Joe Jackson — on his eighth straight rushing attempt — from the 1 on fourth down, leaving Kansas State’s lead at 25-24.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Shoehorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoehorn. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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