crimped; crimping; crimps
1
: to cause to become wavy, bent, or pinched: such as
a
: to form (leather) into a desired shape
b
: to give (synthetic fibers) a curl or wave like that of natural fibers
c
: to pinch or press together (something, such as the margins of a pie crust) in order to seal
2
: to be an inhibiting or restraining influence on : cramp
… sales had been crimped by credit controls …—
Time
Time
: a person who entraps or forces men into shipping as sailors or into enlisting in an army or navy
Examples of crimp in a Sentence
Noun (1)
a small crimp in the dollar bill prevented it from being accepted by the bill changer
made a tiny little crimp in the corner of the Queen of Spades
the strike could put a real crimp in the production schedule
Recent Examples on the Web
Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2026
That, combined with rising oil prices, undercut the yearslong push to crimp President Vladimir Putin’s ability to wage war in Ukraine.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Namir Khaliq, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Gas prices are once again on the rise a month after the United States and Israel began bombing Iran, resulting in a severe crimp in the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crimp
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Verb
The early 2000s offered a treasure trove of trends–think, crimped hair and icy blue eyeshadow.
—Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2026
That, combined with rising oil prices, undercut the yearslong push to crimp President Vladimir Putin’s ability to wage war in Ukraine.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Noun
In rock climbing, a few such traits include longer fingers, shorter forearms, and scraggly wrists, all of which might help a climber clutch at tiny crimps in the rock with substantially more ease.
—Namir Khaliq, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Gas prices are once again on the rise a month after the United States and Israel began bombing Iran, resulting in a severe crimp in the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crimp
Cite this Entry
“Crimp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crimp. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
crimp
1 of 2 verb1
: to make wavy or bent
2
: to pinch or press together
crimp the edges of a pie crust
crimp
2 of 2 noun1
: something produced by or as if by crimping
2
: something that holds back
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