like sardines

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A prominent member of the association of victims' families, Maria Karystianou, told reporters that relatives had been "packed like sardines".

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

At night, bedbugs nibbled at the 312 people laying like sardines on the floor of Namazi’s section of Ward 4.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

All of which makes the decision to play in the round, packed like sardines in a crushed tin can, all the more significant.

From BBC • Nov. 21, 2025

It’s also a perfect recipe for creatures like sardines and anchovies, who feast on the diatoms, algae and phytoplankton in these cool, nutrient-rich waters.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 11, 2024

And then we would be thrown in the paddy wagons, and sometimes we were stacked in there like sardines in a can.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry