shoehorn

[ shoo-hawrn ]

noun

1. a shaped piece of horn, metal, or the like, inserted in the heel of a shoe to make it slip on more easily.

verb (used with object)

1. to force into a limited or tight space:

   Can you shoehorn four of us into the back seat of your car?

shoehorn

/ ˈʃuːˌhɔːn /

noun

1. a smooth curved implement of horn, metal, plastic, etc, inserted at the heel of a shoe to ease the foot into it

verb

1. tr to cram (people or things) into a very small space

Word History and Origins

Origin of shoehorn¹

First recorded in 1580–90; shoe + horn

Example Sentences

Her home was shoehorned into the allowable area within all four setback lines.

From Seattle Times

Like most jukeboxes, “The Heart of Rock and Roll” shoehorns big hits, including “The Power of Love” and “Stuck With You,” with lesser-known tracks into a plot generic enough to accommodate them.

From New York Times

This has sparked backlash from some, who claim that game developers are being forced to shoehorn diversity into their games.

From BBC

The sort of films that I feel capable of making, I don’t think I’d be particularly good at trying to shoehorn into something more sensible.

From Los Angeles Times

There were 11 trios shoehorned into his warehouse in January — and he says he can’t run full sound tests inside because the clamor, reaching up to 180 decibels, could blow out an eardrum.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• embed
• enter
• fill in
• imbed
• implant
• include
• inject
• introduce
• stick