packed in like sardines

1. Extremely crowded, as in I could barely breathe—we were packed in like sardines. This term, alluding to how tightly sardines are packed in cans, has been applied to human crowding since the late 1800s.

Example Sentences

She stressed that some of her opposition comes out of fear that the RV park’s residents, who she said will be “packed in like sardines,” won’t be safe themselves.

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“Everybody’s packed in like sardines. My friends are looking at me, and I’m like, ‘I’m sorry.’

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Proper Fish is as popular as ever, with patrons packed in like sardines, and the staff assured me nothing has changed.

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"You're all packed in like sardines," she declares before launching into Kiss Them For Me.

Read more on BBC

“The crowd was in a standstill. People are packed in like sardines.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times