1
a
: a male sheep
b
capitalized
: aries
2
a
b
: a warship with a heavy beak at the prow for piercing an enemy ship
3
: any of various guided pieces for exerting pressure or for driving or forcing something by impact: such as
a
: the plunger of a hydrostatic press or force pump
b
: the weight that strikes the blow in a pile driver
rammed; ramming
1
: to force in by or as if by driving
3
: to force passage or acceptance of
ram home an idea
4
: to strike against violently
rammer
noun
: a computer memory on which data can be both read and written and on which the location of data does not affect the speed of its retrieval
especially
: RAM that acts as the main storage available to the user for programs and data
called also random-access memory
compare romSynonyms
Examples of ram in a Sentence
Verb
They deliberately rammed my car from behind.
The car slid and rammed against the wall.
He deliberately rammed his car into mine.
She rammed her fist against the wall in anger.
She rammed the cork into the barrel.
He opened the chute and rammed the clothes down.
Noun (2)
My computer is slow because it needs more RAM.
Recent Examples on the Web
CBS News, 12 Feb. 2024
For two weeks, the building had displayed seasonal dioramas, and one, alongside the Nativity scenes and menorahs, was especially eye-catching: a six-foot-tall robed figure with a ram’s head meant to be the pagan god Baphomet.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2024
According to Devlin’s report, the tactical unit decided to breach the front door of the residence using an extended ram attached to the front of an armored vehicle.
—Staff Reports, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2024
For the most part, scientists have studied aspects of procreation in space only in animals, including fruit flies, frogs, newts, geckos, aquatic crustaceans, quails, rats, mice and, intriguingly, rams.
—Kim Tingley, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023
The current dominant ram is Igor, and he was named—as were all his associates—by Luke’s three young sons.
—David Sedaris, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
Taylor, an emergency medical technician, was sleeping at home with her boyfriend Kenneth Walker when officers charged into the apartment, using a battering ram to break down the door.
—Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2023
That's when the Dodge minivan rams the Alfa Romeo into the shoulder of the freeway in a scene worthy of a Hollywood stunt.
—Rebecca Rosenberg, Fox News, 27 Oct. 2023
After a snow leopard kills nine rams owned by a herder, a bitter conflict ensues between the herder who wants to kill the snow leopard and the father who wants to release it.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Oct. 2023
CBS News, 7 Apr. 2024
If the administration tried to ram an order past informal congressional review, lawmakers could seek to block that through a supermajority joint resolution during the formal notification period.
—Edward Wong, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Their efforts failed, and the Hickox rammed into the side of the Milwaukee.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
The bridge collapsed on March 26 after a massive cargo ship rammed into it, causing the structure to crumble into the Patapsco River and kill six workers who were patching potholes.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024
Minutes later, the ship rammed one of the bridge's columns, causing the entire structure to collapse within seconds.
—Nick Perry, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024
The deadliest such collision in the U.S. occurred in 1980, when a cargo ship rammed into the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay, Florida, bringing it down and killing 35.
—Rich Schapiro, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge stood little chance of survival Tuesday when a cargo ship rammed into it: Its vertical support structure seemed flimsy for a bridge spanning such a busy port, experts said, and did not appear to be protected by a substantial impact barrier.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
The car had come to a stop in the dirt parking lot, before the Volkswagen suddenly backed up and rammed the patrol vehicle, the CHP said.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 2024
Noun
The Arizona Game and Fish Department said Friday the carcass of the adult ram was found not far from a farm field near Gila Bend, about 70 miles southwest of Phoenix.
—CBS News, 12 Feb. 2024
For two weeks, the building had displayed seasonal dioramas, and one, alongside the Nativity scenes and menorahs, was especially eye-catching: a six-foot-tall robed figure with a ram’s head meant to be the pagan god Baphomet.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2024
According to Devlin’s report, the tactical unit decided to breach the front door of the residence using an extended ram attached to the front of an armored vehicle.
—Staff Reports, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2024
For the most part, scientists have studied aspects of procreation in space only in animals, including fruit flies, frogs, newts, geckos, aquatic crustaceans, quails, rats, mice and, intriguingly, rams.
—Kim Tingley, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023
The current dominant ram is Igor, and he was named—as were all his associates—by Luke’s three young sons.
—David Sedaris, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
Taylor, an emergency medical technician, was sleeping at home with her boyfriend Kenneth Walker when officers charged into the apartment, using a battering ram to break down the door.
—Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2023
That's when the Dodge minivan rams the Alfa Romeo into the shoulder of the freeway in a scene worthy of a Hollywood stunt.
—Rebecca Rosenberg, Fox News, 27 Oct. 2023
After a snow leopard kills nine rams owned by a herder, a bitter conflict ensues between the herder who wants to kill the snow leopard and the father who wants to release it.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Oct. 2023
Verb
And here in Tel Aviv, a car rammed into a group of protesters, injuring several people.
—CBS News, 7 Apr. 2024
If the administration tried to ram an order past informal congressional review, lawmakers could seek to block that through a supermajority joint resolution during the formal notification period.
—Edward Wong, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Their efforts failed, and the Hickox rammed into the side of the Milwaukee.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
The bridge collapsed on March 26 after a massive cargo ship rammed into it, causing the structure to crumble into the Patapsco River and kill six workers who were patching potholes.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024
Minutes later, the ship rammed one of the bridge's columns, causing the entire structure to collapse within seconds.
—Nick Perry, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024
The deadliest such collision in the U.S. occurred in 1980, when a cargo ship rammed into the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay, Florida, bringing it down and killing 35.
—Rich Schapiro, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge stood little chance of survival Tuesday when a cargo ship rammed into it: Its vertical support structure seemed flimsy for a bridge spanning such a busy port, experts said, and did not appear to be protected by a substantial impact barrier.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
The car had come to a stop in the dirt parking lot, before the Volkswagen suddenly backed up and rammed the patrol vehicle, the CHP said.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ram.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Ram.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ram. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ram
1 of 3 noun1
: a male sheep
2
ram
2 of 3 verb
rammed; ramming
1
: to strike or strike against with violence : crash
2
: to force in, down, or through by or as if by driving or pressing
rammer
noun
Medical Definition
ram
noun
: a male sheep
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