cramming

present participle of cram
1
as in squeezing
to fit (people or things) into a tight space tried to cram one more book into the backpack

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2
3
as in gorging
to fill with food to capacity one of those eating contests in which competitors attempt to cram themselves with as many hot dogs as they can in three minutes

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4
as in inhaling
to swallow or eat greedily the thoughtless guest crammed a dinner that had taken hours to prepare

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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 cramming The two stayed up late into the night Monday, cramming information on each candidate. Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026 The trip took 76 days, with van Dongen splitting time between hours on his bike and cramming into an RV in parks and towns around the country. Kansas City Star, 24 June 2026 But the line is shifting towards the Mediterranean Sea, cramming Gaza’s population into a shrinking strip of land. Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 14 May 2026 This is an impressive chip, cramming nearly 100 billion transistors onto a piece of silicon roughly the size of a fingernail. John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 At their core, Rush were always about glorious musical excess, routinely cramming more riffs and time signatures into single songs than some bands managed on entire albums. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2026 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 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 In recent weeks, NGOs helping the workers say the Cambodian authorities have stepped up detention of migrants for visa violations, cramming them in overcrowded detention facilities. Shibani Mahtani, NPR, 21 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cramming
Verb
  • The same rules reshaping the car are squeezing the independent aftermarket out of the picture.
    Sarwant Singh, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Energy prices soared, squeezing Americans already frustrated by the high cost of living.
    Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Soccer fans have already been filling seats at new businesses like El Tesoro, the Irish Exit, Glide Pizza and the immersive entertainment destination Cosm.
    Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 1 July 2026
  • After two devastating quakes, first responders were fishermen, doctors and emigres returning from abroad — a grassroots campaign filling a government void.
    Helena Carpio, Washington Post, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • There will be title defenses from Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, who are the Michael Jordan and Diana Taurasi of gorging sausages.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • But gorging on pollen alone wasn’t enough to lengthen a life.
    Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • Avoid inhaling the dust—even food-grade—as prolonged exposure can irritate the lungs, says Harlow-Ellis.
    Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 24 June 2026
  • Gonzalez worked to enforce a roadblock during the chemical plume without being informed about the dangers of inhaling the chemicals.
    Irene Wright, USA Today, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • In 1976, Miami Marine Stadium’s bicentennial fireworks show drew a causeway-jamming capacity crowd of 15,000 while a downtown Miami parade attracted about 5,000 people.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
  • Russia responded by outfitting the glide bombs with Kometa satellite navigation modules that are more resistant to jamming.
    Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Alysa Guffey More than 50 people gathered in 90-degree heat to protest welcoming data centers to Indianapolis before packing the public assembly room on the second floor of the City-County Building.
    Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 2 July 2026
  • Not as messy as chicken wings but packing the same flavorful punch, buffalo chicken dip is a sure-fire crowd-pleaser.
    Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Their supporters with zero life experience are devouring their pie-in-the-sky mumbo jumbo.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
  • On America’s 250th birthday, there was former San Jose resident Joey Chestnut on a stage at Coney Island in New York City, devouring hot dogs faster than anyone.
    Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 4 July 2026
Verb
  • Cihlar recommends beginners avoid loading up too soon, while men who are already regularly active and lift weights can typically handle a 20- or 30-pound plate from the start.
    Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
  • How to Start Rucking Safely Experts recommend conditioning the body before loading up a pack, especially for men over 40 returning to exercise.
    Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cramming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cramming. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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