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sardine
be squashed (in) like sardines
To be very tightly or snugly squashed together, especially in a small space. We didn't want to take more than one car, so we had to be squashed like sardines in Jeff's little sedan for the four-hour drive to Moab. Having a concert in our friend's café was such a good idea! Sure, we were squashed in like sardines, but everyone had a great time.
squash (someone or something) (in) like sardines
To fit many people or things very tightly or snugly into a small space. We didn't want to take more than one car, so Jeff squashed us like sardines in his little sedan for the four-hour drive to Moab. Having a concert in our friends café was such a good idea! Sure, we had to squash people in like sardines, but everyone had a great time. I wish you would just let us buy you a bigger backpack! It makes my own back hurt watching you squash those books like sardines into your little shoulder bag.
squashed (in) like sardines
Very tightly or snugly packed together, especially in a small space. We didn't want to take more than one car, so we had to drive for about four hours squashed like sardines in Jeff's little sedan. Having a concert in our friends café was such a good idea! Sure, we were squashed in like sardines, but everyone had a great time.
pack someone or something (in) like sardines
Fig. to squeeze in as many people or things as possible. (From the way that many sardines are packed into a can.) They packed us in like sardines. There was no room to breathe. They packed in the people like sardines. Dave got a box and packed old negatives in like sardines.
packed (in) like sardines
Fig. packed very tightly. It was terribly crowded there. We were packed in like sardines. The bus was full. The passengers were packed like sardines.
be packed like sardines
if people are packed like sardines, there are a large number of them in a small space There were twenty people packed like sardines into a van.
packed in like sardines
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.