shoehorn

1 of 2

noun

shoe·​horn ˈshü-ˌhȯrn 

: a curved piece (as of horn, wood, or metal) used in putting on a shoe

shoehorn

2 of 2

verb

shoehorned; shoehorning; shoehorns

transitive verb

1

: to force to be included or admitted

shoehorned irrelevant arguments into his essay

2

: to force or compress into an insufficient space or period of time : squeeze

shoehorn the past, present, and future into about 500 pages

—Otis Port

Synonyms

Verb

• cram
• crowd
• crush
• jam
• ram
• sandwich
• squeeze
• stuff
• wedge

Examples of shoehorn in a Sentence

Verb

A parking garage has been shoehorned between the buildings.

She's trying to shoehorn a year's worth of classes into a single semester.

I don't know how they managed to shoehorn everyone into that little room.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Other useful features include an interior mesh pocket, which can be used for storing accessories (socks, heel pads, shoehorns, etc.) and a top handle for easy transportation. —Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 13 Oct. 2023

Marino honored Peninsula must-haves, like enormous walk-in dressing rooms with full sartorial knickknacks—who doesn’t need a shoehorn? —Linda Laban, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2023

Verb

Since the director shoehorns himself into a cameo at the very end to arbitrarily explain away one potential plot hole and do some damage control, the final result is mediocre at best. —Dan Heching, CNN, 6 Aug. 2024

Are there really any consequences to directors, executives and insiders after a firm’s demise? Firms that shoehorn under the ECG minimums seemingly hold an upside-only opportunity. —Noah Barsky, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1589, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

shoehorn

noun

shoe·​horn

-ˌhȯrn

: a curved piece (as of metal) to help in putting on a shoe