Skip to main content
to cramp

to cramp

1 6.8
To hold two pieces of wood tightly together with a metal bar
  • verb
  • /kræmp/
  • UK
: sujetar con una abrazadera

Examples

  • She might cramp a fair amount afterwards.

  • Then, the after-market third valve slide ring doesn't sit up high enough above the third valve slide that it doesn't cramp my middle finger.

    Blog text (17)
  • He used the tool to cramp the wooden pieces together while the glue dried.

  • Make sure to cramp the two sheets securely to ensure they stay in place.

  • She had to cramp the metal beam tightly to complete the construction safely.

Synonyms

to clamp
vsto cramp
70 3.3

Fasten something tightly to keep it from moving

refers specifically to securing with a particular holding device
to clench
vsto cramp
46 3.5

To squeeze something tightly with your hands or teeth

secures objects using a tool rather than by muscular squeezing
to cinch
vsto cramp
13 5.5

To fasten a strap tightly so it does not slip

uses a fixed holding device rather than tightening a strap

Antonyms

∞ 1.8

To let someone or something go free from being held

185 1.0

Make something less tight so it can move or open

Idioms

17 7.8

Make someone feel they cannot act freely or be themselves

Compounds

writer's cramp
  • Specialized
2 7.5

A painful, tight feeling in the hand or fingers after writing for a long time

intermittent cramp
  • Specialized
1 7.5

Painful muscle twitching that comes and goes, sometimes with seizures, from low calcium or vitamin D

1 2.9

A sharp pain when a muscle suddenly tightens

1 9.8

A metal strip with bent ends that holds stone blocks together

wanker's cramp
  • Offensive
9.9

A painful tightness in the hand after doing the same movement too much, for example when typing or gaming

How Tight

to cramp
  • UK
1 6.8
to secure
105 3.3
to fasten
73 1.6
to attach
599 2.5

Surface Forms

cramp infinitive
cramped past
cramped past participle
cramping present participle
cramps third person singular

Etymology

Cramp (verb) meaning to hold with a tool comes from the name of the tool itself, a cramp, so to cramp two boards is to clamp them tightly while they set or are fixed.