to jam
43
3.4
- verb
- /dʒæm/
- He quickly jammed the stick into the narrow opening to fix the fence.
- jam on the brakes
- jam on the pedal
- jam a fist
Examples
-
Reacting to the shot, Perdita jams the gear shift into reverse and peels out, knocking the deputy down.
Fiction book (1990) -
I gotta jam this cable into the drum.
-
Now you, like, jam it in the top and pull down.
-
I want you to jam the cell grid.
-
And I'm gonna jam it.
-
Well, if it's painted shut and you use a screwdriver to jam it, it sometimes...
-
CUT TO: EXT: CONVENIENCE STORE. MORNING. DANTE tries to jam the key into the window shutter lock.
Fiction book (1994) -
An ambassador car swerves in front of Hasari, forcing him to jam to a stop, jolting the kids.
Fiction book (1992) -
I need you to jam the suitcase shut before we leave for the airport.
-
She had to jam the last book onto the shelf, making sure it fit tightly among the others.
Synonyms
375
2.3
To close or hit something with great force and make a loud noise
307
1.0
To hit or close something suddenly and loudly
161
1.9
To push something so it moves or opens
106
2.0
Make something move down by using force
60
2.4
Close a door loudly and hard when angry or impatient
49
2.7
A quick strong push that moves someone or something
35
4.2
A strong sudden push often made with a hand or weapon
31
2.5
To push something down with force to make it flat or close it
25
2.7
To close a door or window quickly and hard so it makes a loud noise
19
6.0
Put something down hard so it makes a loud noise or quickly drink something
11
2.2
Push something down using your hand or weight
5
5.0
Happening with a sudden loud crash
4
7.1
To force something down by hitting it hard
Antonyms
Idioms
Phrasal Verbs
- Specialized
1
9.1
To intentionally block a single radio or radar frequency using electronic signals
- Specialized
To block a wide range of radio frequencies at once so radios in an area cannot work
Compounds
- Informal
10
3.9
A meeting of musicians who make up music and play together without planning
3
1.0
A sweet spread people make from strawberries and sugar to put on bread or pastries
How Forceful
Surface Forms
Etymology
Jam meaning to push something down hard comes from the idea of forcing or pressing suddenly into a tight place, like a strong 'push'. So you 'jam' a lid or pedal when you push it hard to make it fit or work quickly.