English idiom

cramp someone's style

Register · Informal CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

to limit someone's freedom to behave or express themselves in their usual way

Word picture

A person's natural movement and manner are pictured being squeezed into a cramped space.

Example

“I enjoy traveling with Leo, but his strict schedule can cramp my style.”

Dictionary details

Component words

cramp style

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

bread and circuses

basic comforts and entertainment offered to distract the public from serious problems

cut loose

to abandon restraint and behave freely or wildly

every which way

in every direction, often in a scattered or disorderly way

fall in line

to obey or accept the rules and expectations set by a group or authority

get out of hand

To become impossible to control.

go bananas

to become wildly excited, angry, or otherwise out of control

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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