shoehorn

American  

[shoo-hawrn] / ˈʃuˌhɔrn /

noun

1. a shaped piece of horn, metal, or the like, inserted in the heel of a shoe to make it slip on more easily.

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verb (used with object)

1. to force into a limited or tight space.

   Can you shoehorn four of us into the back seat of your car?

shoehorn British  

/ ˈʃuːˌhɔːn /

noun

1. a smooth curved implement of horn, metal, plastic, etc, inserted at the heel of a shoe to ease the foot into it

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verb

1. (tr) to cram (people or things) into a very small space

Etymology

Origin of shoehorn

First recorded in 1580–90; shoe + horn

Example Sentences

It is no mean feat to shoehorn a half-millennium of social, political and economic tumult into a single volume.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

"These subjects are not the easiest to shoehorn into a three-and-a-half minute song," says Lorde.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2025

“To shoehorn anything into tiny Disneyland is really hard,” Irvine says, adding, “a lot of people in merchandising would have preferred it was bigger.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2025

Scott, as usual, also needs to shoehorn meaning that he doesn't know how to produce and erase history that he doesn't know how to replace.

From Salon • Dec. 7, 2024

They made me remember that guy David and the shoehorn.

From "Miracle's Boys" by Jacqueline Woodson

Related Words

• embed
• enter
• fill in
• imbed
• implant
• include
• inject
• introduce
• stick