as in stitch
a painful sudden tightening of a muscle
I was suddenly awakened by a cramp in my leg
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
an antismoking ordinance that was seen as just another cramp on business by bar owners
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to impede
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
having to constantly entertain guests at the summer cottage was really cramping my writing efforts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cramp
Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 30 Jan. 2026
The conditions took a noticeable toll on Italian Jannik Sinner, who tried to stretch through apparent cramps and needed the assistance of an air-conditioning tube during the third round of men’s singles at the Australian Open.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Farima Ferguson, The Spruce, 28 Jan. 2026
Her hand and arm cramped, her shoulder ached, and her knee throbbed, all while the rain soaked through their clothes.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cramp
Noun
Symptoms often include diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps and vomiting, typically appearing within six hours to six days after exposure, according to the CDC.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 30 Jan. 2026
The conditions took a noticeable toll on Italian Jannik Sinner, who tried to stretch through apparent cramps and needed the assistance of an air-conditioning tube during the third round of men’s singles at the Australian Open.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Verb
But, the space feels small and cramped.
—Farima Ferguson, The Spruce, 28 Jan. 2026
Her hand and arm cramped, her shoulder ached, and her knee throbbed, all while the rain soaked through their clothes.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cramp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cramp
Verb
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Dozens of felony cases against protesters accused of assaulting or impeding federal officers have also crumbled.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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Along with this comes a lack of awareness about eating disorders, stigma and unhealthy attitudes and assumptions toward mental health from coaches and other athletic personnel, all of which can impede an athlete’s likelihood of seeking care.—
Emily Hemendinger,
The Conversation,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Efforts to pass broader AI regulations have failed in recent years, as lawmakers worried that too much regulation could hinder the state’s burgeoning innovation efforts and scare companies away the state.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
6 Feb. 2026
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Whereas Apollo space suits were akin to wearing an inflated balloon that greatly hindered motion, the AxEMU is designed with flexible joints that give astronauts mobility to kneel, jog or even do the splits.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Democratic lawmakers condemn Maxwell’s plea Democrats in the House Oversight Committee denounced Maxwell’s request for a presidential pardon and suggested that Trump’s refusal to rule out such a possibility has hampered the committee’s inquiry.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
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As has been the case many a time during the season, giveaways hampered Golden State for much of the night.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One day, Will goes viral after embarrassing ROAR league MVP, Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre), during a streetball challenge, prompting his favorite team, the Vineland Thorns, to sign him to a season-ending contract in a desperate attempt to juice ticket sales.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
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The case has deeply embarrassed the royal family, especially his mother, who suffers from an incurable lung illness and who is torn between her role as mother and future queen.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The person appears to first try obstructing the lens with their gloved hand.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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This, along with the 911 calls, led to his arrest for allegedly obstructing police.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Whenever these urgent hedge-fund risk-reduction events occurs, brokerage houses try to handicap how much more repositioning might be necessary to bring their posture back toward a neutral footing, like different hurricane models trying to forecast a storm’s path.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
9 Feb. 2026
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According to Isaks, some gamblers will try to handicap these bets, applying some sort of statistical analysis to find an edge.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cramp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cramp. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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