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 same push toward cramming AI into every corner is also happening on Windows 11, where Microsoft Copilot promises to be helpful. — Adam Clark Estes, Vox, 18 Sep. 2026 The common thread among them is many, many hours spent cramming parenting and their careers into each day. — Tilly Berendt, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Kim was a relatively normal teenager who, while cramming for tests and navigating crushes, also had to save the world from any villain who wished to do harm. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026 The Pro Max is the one that gets the attention, cramming near-power-bank levels of capacity into a fairly standard-looking smartphone. — New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026 The roommates’ incompatible goals and perennial brokeness lead to side-splitting conflicts, with Shelby cramming for her GED while Kaitlin’s greatest ambition is to throw an epic island party. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 The network had a two-way smuggling route between Algeria and Spain, transporting drugs to the African nation and cramming boats with migrants for the return trip to Spanish coastal towns, Spain’s Civil Guard said. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026 The situation is also symptomatic of broader strains on the country's higher education system, where grossly limited spots leave millions cramming for months, or even years, and high-stakes entrance exams leave many of them burnt out and in debt. — Sakshi Dayal, USA Today, 22 July 2026 An early 2022 op-ed in the University of Calgary’s student newspaper described the idea as the antithesis of hustle culture, one that finds satisfaction in mundane tasks rather than cramming productivity into every waking moment. — Allison Palmer july 7, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cramming
Verb
  • Marris was aghast, squeezing the sides of her phone to capture what was on the screen.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The level of boredom Pugh brought to Kate making her older client orgasm by squeezing his nipples really sold her approach to the work.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Gasoline price movements are more apparent to consumers than those of diesel, since drivers feel them immediately when filling up, economists said.
    — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
  • With tours filling and accommodation being booked, the temptation is to chase the longest possible totality.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • For decades, the seabirds have pecked at whales surfacing to breathe, gorging on their skin and blubber.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Bats are invaluable in agriculture, gorging on pests that target crops — corn earworms, brown stink bugs, cucumber beetles and more.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But some people abuse it by inhaling it to feel relaxed or euphoric.
    — Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Tottenham attempted to offload Bissouma last summer, and the club later initiated another internal investigation after an image leaked of Bissouma inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon again.
    — Colin Millar, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Furthermore, the report highlights electronic warfare, such as jamming, in addition to lasers or high-power microwaves meant to blind or damage satellite sensors.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • These uncrewed aircraft support pilots in F-35s, F-22s, and future F-47s by scouting, jamming electronics, and transporting weapons.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Xi successfully lifted the constitutional term limits on his rule as state president in 2018 and swept clean the top ranks of the party itself at the 20th Party Congress, in 2022, packing them with his own supporters and yes men.
    — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The third is a network of syringe-injectable implants, each packing two receiving pads, a transistor switch, a battery, and either a sensor or an actuator such as a nerve stimulator.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Just like today’s tentacled ocean dwellers, the Mesozoic squid ancestor likely had no problem devouring its relatives—or even members of its own species.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Davis loved to read and collect books, devouring anything from John Updike and Margaret Atwood, among other authors, a passion that necessitated having bookshelves in every room of his home.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • While the men were still loading their haul, bullets started flying.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026
  • As Veach recalled it, that began with venturing back into the Eagles’ library with a basket and loading it up with VHS tapes.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cramming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cramming. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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