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to cramp

to cramp

22 4.0
To limit growth and movement of people or things
  • verb
  • /kræmp/
: limitar
  • She felt that his constant criticism began to cramp her creativity.
  • cramp someone's style
  • cramp someone's living space
  • cramp someone's mind

Examples

Synonyms

to hamper
vsto cramp
47 4.2

To make it harder for someone or something to move forward

is a broader restriction that can also prevent development entirely
to strangle
vsto cramp
28 6.7

To limit growth or activity so it cannot continue

is milder, focusing on restriction without such extreme suppression
to hobble
vsto cramp
17 5.7

To limit the progress or success of something

is a more general restriction of development or movement
to hamstring
vsto cramp
12 7.9

To make a person or group unable to act effectively

is a general restriction that does not always cause total powerlessness

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

To let something happen or let someone do something

to facilitate
  • Formal
168 4.9

To make a task or process easier and help it happen

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 Restricted

to cramp
22 4.0
to stifle
71 5.3
to inhibit
51 5.4
to restrict
188 3.1

Surface Forms

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

Etymology

Cramp meaning 'to restrict' comes from the image of being held tight by a clamp or hook, so if rules or a small space cramp you, they stop your movement or growth.