as in cramming
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
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Recent Examples of shoehorning
No longer shoehorning into skates never made for her, the next version of someone else’s ideal.
—
Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoehorning
Verb
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Spreading protein across breakfast, lunch and dinner also works better than cramming it into one meal.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
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The plush red seats of the Concertgebouw's main auditorium are occupied by students cramming for upcoming exams and finishing dissertations as classical music fills the hall.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The videos have pulled back the curtain on ingredient shifts across some of the company’s most recognizable products — and a surging cocoa market that’s squeezing the entire candy industry.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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The Pios led 4-1 after a period and put the clamps down, methodically squeezing the clock and the Broncos’ hopes of a repeat title, a shift at a time.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If your entire evening is spent on a ball field or on the go, loading food up and taking it with you is another practical option.—
Dr. Sarah Kinsella,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
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On the day of our visit, the South Korean tanker SK Audace was loading cargo, hooked up to pipes so cold they were covered in a thick layer of frost despite the balmy bayou weather.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Shoehorning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoehorning. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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