like sardines

idiom

: without enough room to move around

A large crowd of reporters was crammed/packed like sardines into a small room.

Examples of like sardines in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The heist took place at an invite-only house party following the bout, where guests were forced to disrobe, hand over their jewelry, cash, and other valuables, and lie like sardines in the home’s basement until the assailants escaped the next morning. —Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2024

Packed tight like sardines on round leather banquettes the fashion industry's heavy hitters made small talk with neighbors or tapped urgently on their phones; little islands of impatience. —Chloe Malle, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2024

Sold fresh at seafood markets or packed in oil in adorably graphic tins, forage fish like sardines and anchovies (which feed on even tinier marine life such as plankton) are pantry powerhouses with multi-faceted appeal. —Emily Saladino, Bon Appétit, 6 Sep. 2024

Just give passengers a little more personal space by moving the seats farther apart instead of packing travelers in like sardines. —Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2024