like sardines
Very tightly or snugly packed together, especially in a small space. Alludes to the tightly packed manner of sardines in a can. We didn't want to take more than one car, so we had cram like sardines into Jeff's little sedan for the four-hour drive to Moab. 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.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.