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Showing results for overcrowding. Search instead for over-cropping.
Synonyms

overcrowding

British  
/ ˌəʊvəˈkraʊdɪŋ /

noun

  1. a state of being filled with more people or things than is desirable; congestion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Sentencing Act 2026, passed in January, is a wide-ranging package of measures which ministers hope will ease overcrowding in jails - but also lead to better rehabilitation.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

Overzealous security guards, higher prices and overcrowding at parties also alienated longtime fans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

California’s elderly parole program originates from a federate court ruling aimed at reducing overcrowding in jails and is based in part on studies that show that the risk of recidivism decreases with age.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

Detention facilities are seeing more overcrowding and understaffing as the Trump administration ramps up enforcement in the interior of the country, experts said.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

I fear what will happen in James Town this winter, with its overcrowding and lack of food.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.