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Glite Dictionary
to pack in

to pack in

8 4.9
To fit many activities into a short time
  • phrasal verb
  • /pæk ɪn/
translation icon : incluir
  • To maximize our time in New York, we decided to pack in visits to five museums in one day.
  • pack people in
  • packed in like sardines
  • pack in more calories

There's a lot packed in here into this short little work.

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Examples

  • The festival was so popular that we had to pack in as many performances as possible into just three days.

  • During the summer camp, we always try to pack in a variety of activities, like hiking, swimming, and art classes.

  • My dad is trying to pack in 25 years into a weekend.

    Infected (2013)

  • Fewer dates, but we'll pack in just as many people.

    Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022)

  • Because current standards dictate so much and time is so limited, teachers must pack in as much as possible.

    Academic text (2011)

  • We've managed to pack in more people and cover a lot of space in concrete, and we do a lot less farming.

    Blog text (23)

  • You can pack in more information about why you're perfect for the job than you can fit on a one-page resume.

    Blog text (18)

  • While it takes a bit longer upfront to pack everything in these cubes and folders, we've found the benefits while on the road to be well worth the time.

    Blog text (17)

Synonyms

to pack
vsto pack in
278 2.3

To press things together so they take less space

compresses events into a short period instead of physical compression
to jampack
vsto pack in
1 4.5

Fill a place or container until there is no room left

squeezes many activities into a short time rather than physical filling

Antonyms

to spread out
24 3.1

To arrange or unfold things so they cover a larger area

How Packed

to jampack
1 4.5
to pack in
8 4.9
to squeeze
192 2.8

Surface Forms

pack in infinitive
packed in past
packed in past participle
packing in present participle
packs in third person singular

Morphology

pack + in

The meaning 'to include or arrange many activities within a short period' is a direct extension of 'pack' (to press/put items tightly together) plus 'in' (into), i.e. metaphorically packing events into a limited time. This physical-to-temporal mapping is common and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can reasonably infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Pack in comes from the image of packing a bag: you push many things in so they all fit. So to pack in plans or visits means 'to include a lot in a short time'.