shoehorned; shoehorning; shoehorns
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—
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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
Jeffrey Steele, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
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
Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 6 Dec. 2024
But a modern Windows OS means that handheld device makers like ASUS and Lenovo have to develop and shoehorn in overlays to resemble the look, feel, and functionality of a Steam Deck.
—Jason Evangelho, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shoehorn 
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Noun
Affordable fundamentals Recent years have seen student housing developers compete to shoehorn as many luxury amenities as possible into residential communities, from boxing gyms to makers spaces and luxury spas.
—Jeffrey Steele, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
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
Verb
Lowering the ceiling of that historic room and raising the roof to create an additional story, her design will usher art lovers to new or improved amenities like the shop, café, education center, and special exhibition galleries, all shoehorned within the complex set of constraints.
—Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 6 Dec. 2024
But a modern Windows OS means that handheld device makers like ASUS and Lenovo have to develop and shoehorn in overlays to resemble the look, feel, and functionality of a Steam Deck.
—Jason Evangelho, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shoehorn
Dictionary Entries Near shoehorn
Cite this Entry
“Shoehorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoehorn. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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