1
: a painful involuntary spasmodic contraction of a muscle
2
: a temporary paralysis of muscles from overuse compare writer's cramp
3
a
: sharp abdominal pain
—usually used in plural
b
: persistent and often intense though dull lower abdominal pain associated with dysmenorrhea
—usually used in plural
cramped; cramping; cramps
: to be affected with cramps
1
: hard to understand or figure out
cramp law terms
cramp handwriting
2
: being cramped
a cramp corner
Synonyms
Examples of cramp in a Sentence
Verb
Writing for such a long time may cramp your hand.
His leg was cramping so badly he could hardly move it.
The new regulations may cramp the company's financial growth.
Recent Examples on the Web
Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2024
The herb might lower blood sugar and cholesterol and ease menstrual cramps.
—Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health, 24 Mar. 2024
The drug's potential side effects can include flatulence, nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, swollen abdomen, and rectal hemorrhage.
—Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024
This amount and form may also help with reducing leg cramps during pregnancy.
—Casey Seiden, Parents, 24 Feb. 2024
Approximately one in 10 infected persons will have severe disease characterized by profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps.
—Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2024
Symptoms typically start within 12 hours to three days after eating contaminated food and include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2024
Symptoms of drinking too much water Similar to heat exhaustion, symptoms of hyponatremia can include nausea, headache, fatigue, muscle weakness or cramps and in extreme cases seizures or coma.
—Kira Caspers, The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2024
What follows is a consistently outrageous tour through the joys of pregnancy, touching on the things society has conspired to keep hidden: the insatiable horniness, the crippling cramps, the nasty-yet-natural biological surprises.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024
Cristina Mutchler, Health, 7 Apr. 2024
Luckily, sizing woes don’t have to cramp your style!
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024
These diseases include bacterial infections like campylobacter and salmonella and parasitic infections like cryptosporidium, giardia and tapeworm.
Symptoms can include abdominal cramping, diarrhea, fever and vomiting.
—Katia Hetter, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024
But Take Note Potential side effects of magnesium citrate include cramping, gas, and diarrhea, but these are typically seen at higher dosages.
—Casey Seiden, Parents, 24 Feb. 2024
Some people experience side effects such as cramping or weight gain related to water retention in the early supplementation phase.6
Best Time to Take Creatine
Studies show that creatine supplements are most effective when taken either before or after exercising rather than hours later.
—Tamar Kane, Ms, Verywell Health, 25 Jan. 2024
Because this cramped, dungeon-like prison is far from the pleasures and sunlight of Elena’s palace.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
Side effects like cramping, headaches, and bloating regularly impact sleep quality.
—Barbara Rhoden, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024
Things to Consider Magnesium citrate may cause gastrointestinal side effects in some, including cramping and diarrhea.
—Britannay Scanniello, Verywell Health, 1 Mar. 2024
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024
The only thing that could stop Johnson, who is being recruited by Louisville and other schools, was a cramp.
—Brooks Warren, The Courier-Journal, 27 Jan. 2024
Ohtani prematurely departed from an early August start because of a finger cramp.
—Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023
But staying proved a choice costly to his 4-year-old son, Maksym, who was struck by shrapnel and now has nerve problems that cause his legs to cramp.
—Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Oct. 2023
Amid criticism over the Angels’ handling of Ohtani’s health, general manager Perry Minasian told reporters Aug. 26 that the team offered to conduct imaging after Ohtani experienced a finger cramp earlier in the month, but the two-way star declined.
—Sarah Valenzuela, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023
Minasian suggested the Angels were proactive, offering to do imaging exams after Ohtani reported a finger cramp on Aug. 3.
—Sarah Valenzuela, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2023
On a night when Aledo’s defense was bypassed for 434 yards while he was largely hindered by a cramp, linebacker Davhon Keys found a way to leave his imprint on both sides of the ball.
—Greg McKenna, Dallas News, 2 Sep. 2023
Minasian suggested the Angels were proactive, offering to do imaging exams after Ohtani reported a finger cramp on Aug. 3 against the Seattle Mariners.
—Sarah Valenzuela, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023
Noun
Consumption of contaminated food can cause salmonellosis, the most common symptoms of which are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after consumption.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2024
The herb might lower blood sugar and cholesterol and ease menstrual cramps.
—Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health, 24 Mar. 2024
The drug's potential side effects can include flatulence, nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, swollen abdomen, and rectal hemorrhage.
—Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024
This amount and form may also help with reducing leg cramps during pregnancy.
—Casey Seiden, Parents, 24 Feb. 2024
Approximately one in 10 infected persons will have severe disease characterized by profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps.
—Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2024
Symptoms typically start within 12 hours to three days after eating contaminated food and include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2024
Symptoms of drinking too much water Similar to heat exhaustion, symptoms of hyponatremia can include nausea, headache, fatigue, muscle weakness or cramps and in extreme cases seizures or coma.
—Kira Caspers, The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2024
What follows is a consistently outrageous tour through the joys of pregnancy, touching on the things society has conspired to keep hidden: the insatiable horniness, the crippling cramps, the nasty-yet-natural biological surprises.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024
Verb
Spotting is vaginal bleeding that's light and may be accompanied by cramping.
—Cristina Mutchler, Health, 7 Apr. 2024
Luckily, sizing woes don’t have to cramp your style!
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024
These diseases include bacterial infections like campylobacter and salmonella and parasitic infections like cryptosporidium, giardia and tapeworm.
Symptoms can include abdominal cramping, diarrhea, fever and vomiting.
—Katia Hetter, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024
But Take Note Potential side effects of magnesium citrate include cramping, gas, and diarrhea, but these are typically seen at higher dosages.
—Casey Seiden, Parents, 24 Feb. 2024
Some people experience side effects such as cramping or weight gain related to water retention in the early supplementation phase.6
Best Time to Take Creatine
Studies show that creatine supplements are most effective when taken either before or after exercising rather than hours later.
—Tamar Kane, Ms, Verywell Health, 25 Jan. 2024
Because this cramped, dungeon-like prison is far from the pleasures and sunlight of Elena’s palace.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
Side effects like cramping, headaches, and bloating regularly impact sleep quality.
—Barbara Rhoden, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024
Things to Consider Magnesium citrate may cause gastrointestinal side effects in some, including cramping and diarrhea.
—Britannay Scanniello, Verywell Health, 1 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Sophomore Elijah Saunders compensated with 14 points after making a career-high four 3s before leaving in the final minute with a leg cramp.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024
The only thing that could stop Johnson, who is being recruited by Louisville and other schools, was a cramp.
—Brooks Warren, The Courier-Journal, 27 Jan. 2024
Ohtani prematurely departed from an early August start because of a finger cramp.
—Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023
But staying proved a choice costly to his 4-year-old son, Maksym, who was struck by shrapnel and now has nerve problems that cause his legs to cramp.
—Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Oct. 2023
Amid criticism over the Angels’ handling of Ohtani’s health, general manager Perry Minasian told reporters Aug. 26 that the team offered to conduct imaging after Ohtani experienced a finger cramp earlier in the month, but the two-way star declined.
—Sarah Valenzuela, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023
Minasian suggested the Angels were proactive, offering to do imaging exams after Ohtani reported a finger cramp on Aug. 3.
—Sarah Valenzuela, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2023
On a night when Aledo’s defense was bypassed for 434 yards while he was largely hindered by a cramp, linebacker Davhon Keys found a way to leave his imprint on both sides of the ball.
—Greg McKenna, Dallas News, 2 Sep. 2023
Minasian suggested the Angels were proactive, offering to do imaging exams after Ohtani reported a finger cramp on Aug. 3 against the Seattle Mariners.
—Sarah Valenzuela, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cramp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English crampe, from Anglo-French, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch crampe; akin to Old High German krampf bent
Noun (2)
Middle English crampe, from Middle Dutch
First Known Use
Noun (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (2)
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Adjective
1674, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of cramp was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing cramp
Dictionary Entries Near cramp
Cite this Entry
“Cramp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cramp. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
Medical Definition
cramp
1 of 2 noun1
: a painful involuntary spasmodic contraction of a muscle
a cramp in the leg
2
: a temporary paralysis of muscles from overuse see writer's cramp
3
a
: sharp abdominal pain
—usually used in plural
b
: persistent and often intense though dull lower abdominal pain associated with dysmenorrhea
—usually used in plural
cramp
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to affect with or as if with a cramp or cramps
gout cramping his limbs
: to suffer from cramps
More from Merriam-Webster on cramp
Nglish: Translation of cramp for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of cramp for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cramp
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