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Definitions

shoehorn

[shoo-hawrn] / ˈʃuˌhɔrn /
VERB
insert
Synonyms
STRONGEST
embed enter fill in imbed implant include inject introduce stick
STRONG
admit infix infuse inlay insinuate instill intercalate interject interlope interpolate interpose intrude obtrude place root set
WEAK
drag in lug in pop in shove in squeeze in work in
Antonyms
STRONGEST
erase forget
STRONG
dislodge displace halt leave alone remove
WEAK
take out withdraw

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is hard to shoehorn this spectacle of mass-integration, this enforced loss of crowns and kingdoms, into the idea of partition.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

"These subjects are not the easiest to shoehorn into a three-and-a-half minute song," says Lorde.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2025

What Elon Musk Thought has in common with earlier techno-futurist disasters is the attempt to shoehorn that messiness and complexity into a more “efficient” monoculture to achieve his utopian vision.

From Salon • Apr. 27, 2025

But longtime “Wicked” fans will notice that the movie doesn’t drastically shoehorn any part of the narrative.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2024

"That guy David from Rahway? He ever killed anybody with that shoehorn?"

From "Miracle's Boys" by Jacqueline Woodson