to crowd in on

Examples

• All

• The darkness there crowded in on him.

  Fiction book (2002)

• They're all crowding in on you, Mr. Harding.

  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

• CLARICE, hugging the case file to her chest, stares back at him as the men crowd in on her, pushing her away.

  Fiction book (1991)

• As the fans crowded in on the singer, it became hard for her to move.

• The excited children crowded in on the ice cream truck as it arrived.

Synonyms

C

to crowd

vsto crowd in on

175 1.6

To move many people or animals into a small space

suggests moving close around someone rather than merely filling space

P

to press

vsto crowd in on

141 2.7

Move close together and push forward in a crowd

is about moving close around without implying force

C

to close in

vsto crowd in on

119 4.6

Surround or enclose a place by bringing things nearer from all sides

is about closing tightly with little room between people

F

to flock

vsto crowd in on

74 2.0

To move together in large numbers

implies moving close around someone rather than general group movement

G

to gather around

vsto crowd in on

70 1.9

Come together in a group near someone or something

moves in tightly from many sides leaving little space

C

to close in on

vsto crowd in on

63 3.9

Move nearer to someone or something, often to surround and catch them

focuses on moving tightly around without violent intent

C

to cluster

vsto crowd in on

41 3.5

To come together in a small group or make people do the same

is more specifically about closing tightly around a person

B

to bunch up

vsto crowd in on

8 3.3

To gather closely into a tight group

focuses on surrounding a person with very little space

T

to throng

vsto crowd in on

7 6.4

To gather closely in large numbers in a place

describes moving in to surround someone with little space

B

to bunch together

vsto crowd in on

5 3.1

To move or bring close together to form a small group

stresses moving tightly around someone rather than forming a mass

S

to smush

vsto crowd in on

• Informal

5 7.8

To press people or things together into a small space

means moving close around someone rather than compressing tightly

M

to mob

vsto crowd in on

3 5.5

To crowd around someone or something closely and quickly

is similar but without the sense of overwhelming or chaos

C

to crowd together

vsto crowd in on

2 3.0

To stand or move closely in a group

emphasizes closing tightly around a person with little space

Antonyms

S

to separate

297 1.9

To break into parts or pieces

How Close

to swarm

89 3.2

to crowd in on

1 4.8

to cluster

41 3.5

to gather around

70 1.9

to near

115 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology