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

Real innovation isn't about chasing the latest tech trend or shoehorning new gadgets into your platform. —Erik Huberman, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

The good news is that the period of frenzy—where corporate leaders were rushing to shoehorn AI into their product line—is over. —Naren Narendran, Forbes, 25 Nov. 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