cram 1 of 2

noun

Definition of cramnext
as in swarm
a great number of persons or things massed together battling the rush-hour cram in the subway

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

cram

2 of 2

verb

ˈkram How to pronounce cram (audio)
1
as in to squeeze
to fit (people or things) into a tight space tried to cram one more book into the backpack

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to fill
to put into (something) as much as can be held or contained crammed his mouth with candy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to stuff
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to devour
to swallow or eat greedily the thoughtless guest crammed a dinner that had taken hours to prepare

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 cram
Noun
Her lips were forced back by a cram of crooked fangs. — Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026 Tangent time, spinning off this specific expansion (and recalling those who forever want to cram uninspiring Power 4 teams into college football’s championship systems). — Jason Kirk, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Verb
The actress was surprised when, in her estimation, Jacobs was cramming more Boy Meets World into the follow-up show than she had been led to believe. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026 Hundreds of people crammed into the school gym that April evening, and the debate over Point Reyes agitated into a low boil. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cram
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cram
  1. swarm
  2. squeeze
  3. fill
  4. stuff
  5. devour
  6. throng
  7. load
  8. pack
Noun
  • The growth of agentic AI and the rise of cyber hacks orchestrated by agents are forcing companies to invest in more tools to manage swarms of new identities.
    — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • This phrase is a complicated way of simply acknowledging the fact that Pluto sits within the Kuiper Belt, a vast swarm of bodies that go around the sun in similar orbits beyond Neptune.
    — Mike Brown, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of swarm
Verb
  • These portable, lightweight bands squeeze easily into a suitcase and can be used to add resistance to body weight exercises.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Job seekers in South Florida are navigating a tricky mix of stubborn inflation, high interest rates and an AI shift that’s squeezing entry-level hiring.
    — Jessica Lipscomb, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • Similar to the Army, SAE was filled with young men from all walks of life; every economic background, faith, and ethnicity were represented.
    — Todd Buchanan, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Their vehicles are packed with animal triage kits filled with supplies to treat injuries and wounds.
    — Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of fill
Verb
  • On a recent afternoon, the lanky, mustachioed Zucker, wearing a T-shirt, ballcap and small hoop earrings, bears little resemblance to his comic alter ego who sports a tattered suit with gag props stuffed in every pocket.
    — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Thin-shelled yet not overly delicate, stuffed with amarena cherry-scented light ricotta bookended by bitter dark chocolate chips.
    — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of stuff
Verb
  • The larvae come from the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly, which invades open wounds or the mucous membranes of body openings in any warm-blooded animal, including humans, and devours tissue, causing the wounds to become increasingly deep and painful.
    — Abraham Tellez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The Milky Way has something of a torrid and violent history, given that our galaxy has fueled its own growth by cannibalistically devouring smaller galaxies.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of devour
Noun
  • The cows made their way to the altar — with the handlers helping to guide them with hay — through throngs of people and a few mascots sitting in seats and lined up on the streets, who stopped by just to see the unique occasion.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Officers also described the throng of parents searching for children and spouses who worked at the school, including a woman who said her husband had grabbed their child and hidden near an ice machine in the basement of the church.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of throng
Verb
  • The crude that Tehran is able to load on tankers probably doesn't make it past the blockade, Smith added.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In the third inning, the Royals left the bases loaded as Jac Caglianone and Salvador Perez struck out in a clutch situation.
    — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of load
Verb
  • Available in 12 colors, these jeans pack a ton of versatility.
    — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026
  • High-Protein Nuts and Seeds Nuts and seeds are packed with protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.
    — Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of pack

Browse Nearby Words

crakes
cram
crammed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cram.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cram. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of conscientious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All