jam 1 of 2

noun

Definition of jamnext
1
as in snarl
a crowded mass (as of cars) that impedes or blocks movement thousands of cars trying to leave the stadium's parking lot at the same time are sure to create a jam

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Relevance
2
as in pickle
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape the heavy rain puts us in a real jam: all of the preparations are for a garden wedding

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jam

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to stuff
to fit (people or things) into a tight space jammed his clothes into the already bulging hamper

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2
as in to block
to prevent passage through by filling with something firefighters found the nightclub's doorways jammed with trapped patrons

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to fill
to put into (something) as much as can be held or contained the inn will jam a guest's picnic basket with an array of tempting foods

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to push
to force one's way several more people jammed into the bus even though there was hardly room to stand

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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 jam
Noun
Now, the Mets are using him in the seventh or eighth innings to get out tough left-handers, or to get out of jams. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 22 Aug. 2026 It is typically armed with a 110-pound high explosive/fragmentation/incendiary warhead and guided by jam-resistant satellite navigation. — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
Along with jamming out with Limbani, Lee also collaborated on a painting with the chimp, which sold at auction for $5,000, funds that will go to support Save the Chimps’ animals. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 The unit also dabbled in artificial intelligence, which Hegseth has been pushing, and designing drones resistant to jamming. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for jam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jam
  1. snarl
  2. pickle
  3. stuff
  4. block
  5. fill
  6. push
  7. congestion
  8. dilemma
Noun
  • Arguably the standout set of the entire festival, her set was grimy and dark, featuring songs off her new album, Music, Fashion, Film, for the first time with a permanent snarl.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The wildly popular Instagram page was offline for a hot minute, leaving the general pop pining for videos on the myriad zany happenings in our city, from traffic snarls and celebrity shenanigans to animal encounters and fights outside the club.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
Definition of snarl
Noun
  • Freebairn said an old pickle jar can hold a starter, and an ordinary bowl can substitute for a proofing basket.
    — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The kitchen’s electrical oven roasts them during the daytime; they’re then chilled and served cold, with hot sauce, a ramekin of mayonnaise, and a pile of pickle spears.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of pickle
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 Supreme Court in late June blocked Trump from firing Cook, but left the president with a path to try again to remove her.
    — Kevin Breuninger,Dan Mangan, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Satellite images appear to show the avalanche blocking the river with ice and debris about 20km upstream of the Nepal-Tibet border.
    — Milad Haghani, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of block
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
  • Adebo could still push Banks, while Phillips has secured the slot job.
    — Dan Duggan, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • That more than doubled its stock, pushing its market cap above $9 billion, adding to the bottom line of Thrive and Kushner, who is vice chairman and has personal holdings.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of push
Noun
  • Drivers could experience traffic congestion and delays this week in Caldwell following a water main leak that requires emergency repairs.
    — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 25 Aug. 2026
  • When residential development started just south of this commercial corridor, concerns about traffic congestion became a reality.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of congestion
Noun
  • Getty Images The plight of the A’s in Oakland and the Rays in Tampa Bay has been a Major League Baseball dilemma for decades, spanning the careers of the last two commissioners, Rob Manfred and Bud Selig.
    — Barry M. Bloom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Gaines and White talked at length at halftime of Friday’s game about their convictions on the trans in women’s sports dilemma.
    — Patricia Babcock McGraw OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of dilemma

Browse Nearby Words

jalopy
jam
jambalaya
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Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on jam

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about jam

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