packed like sardines

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packed like sardines

/pækt laɪk sɑːˈdiːnz/ UK
/pækt laɪk sɑɹˈdinz/ US

Rhymes with -iːnz

Where it comes from

Referring to sardines packed closely together in a tin (or can).

adjective

informal, not comparable Densely packed; tightly squeezed together; crammed. I'm pretty claustrophobic, so I didn't wanna hop in the elevator with them all packed like sardines in there.
Similar: cheek to jowl

Translations

Every language

adj densely packed

Español	apretados como sardinas, apretadas como sardinas, como sardinas en lata
Português	apinhado
Français	comme des sardines, comme des harengs en caque, comme harengs en caque
Deutsch	dicht gedrängt wie die Sardinen, wie die Ölsardinen
Română	înghesuit ca sardinele
Русский	как се́льди в бо́чке kak sélʹdi v bóčke
Tiếng Việt	chật cứng

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MLA

"packed like sardines." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/packed%20like%20sardines. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

packed like sardines. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/packed%20like%20sardines

Chicago

"packed like sardines." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/packed%20like%20sardines.

BibTeX

@misc{packed_like_sardines_2026,
  title = {packed like sardines},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/packed%20like%20sardines},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}