to wad

Examples

• All

• He dries his hands and arms with his hat, then wads it up and stuffs it into his shirt to wipe his armpits.

  Fiction book (1998)

• Sydney wads up some paper and flings it at David to shut him up.

  Fiction book (1995)

• In the bathroom, she wads the paper gown in the trash with the soaked pad.

  Fiction book (1994)

• Audrey wads up her napkin and heaves it at the TV.

  Fiction book (1998)

• He angrily wads the document and tosses it across the table.

  Fiction book (1995)

• He wads the remaining two pills into a Kleenex and slips it into his pants pocket.

  Fiction book (1999)

• "Still pissing down," Mrs. Bummel says, and wads the handkerchief back into the breast pocket of her canvas overcoat.

  Fiction book (1994)

• Every time he finishes his lunch, he wads the napkin into a small ball.

• He wads the tissue paper carefully to fit it into the small gift box.

Synonyms

P

to pack

vsto wad

278 2.3

To press things together so they take less space

often involves forming a compact mass, sometimes by rolling rather than only stuffing

C

to compress

vsto wad

94 3.7

To press something so it takes less space

includes forming a tight mass by rolling or packing as well as pressing

J

to jam

vsto wad

46 3.2

Push people or things together so they cannot move easily

means forming a dense compact mass rather than causing blockage or obstruction

R

to roll up

vsto wad

25 3.4

Fold or turn something so it becomes a tight round shape

covers making a tight mass by pressing or packing as well as rolling

C

to cram

vsto wad

16 3.2

Push things or people into a small space until nothing fits

focuses on creating a compact mass rather than simply filling to capacity

T

to tamp

vsto wad

14 7.0

To press or pack something down tightly

covers making a compact mass by rolling or other packing, not only downward pressure

C

to compact

vsto wad

11 4.4

To press something so it becomes smaller and takes less space

also includes shaping by rolling or packing, not only squeezing

B

to bale

vsto wad

3 6.7

To make material into a large tightly bound bundle for storage

does not require binding and can mean simply making a compact mass by rolling

P

to pack together

vsto wad

2 3.0

To press things so they fit more tightly together

can include rolling or shaping rather than only pressing parts closer

T

to tamp down

vsto wad

1 5.3

Press something down firmly to make it more compact

can involve shaping by rolling or packing, not only pressing down

R

to ram

vsto wad

1 5.5

To pack many things into a small space very tightly

means making a tight mass but not necessarily by extreme force

J

to jampack

vsto wad

1 4.5

Fill a place or container until there is no room left

emphasizes forming a tight compact mass rather than just crowding space

B

to bale up

vsto wad

7.2

To press and tie plant material like straw or hay into large tight bundles for storage

is broader, covering any compact mass without binding

C

to chock up

vsto wad

• UK

7.4

To fill a space so full that nothing more can be added

describes crowding to capacity whereas the head concept stresses making a compact mass

Antonyms

S

to spread

664 1.6

To put a thin layer over a surface

U

to unroll

12 2.0

To spread out something like a carpet or map that was wrapped up

Idioms

G

to get your panties in a wad

• Informal

2 9.9

To become very upset about a small problem

B

to blow one's wad

• Informal

9.9

To spend all your money at once

How Tight

to cram

16 3.2

to compress

94 3.7

to wad

1 6.3

to pack

278 2.3

to bundle

50 2.9

Surface Forms

Etymology