be bursting at the seams

be bursting at the seams

slang To be overly crowded. Because of all the delays this morning, the train station is bursting at the seams. Good luck finding a place to sit!
See also: burst, seam
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

be bursting at the seams

COMMON If a place is bursting at the seams, it is completely full of people or things. Note: The seams of a piece of clothing are the places where the separate pieces of cloth used to make it are stitched together. The tiny stadium was bursting at the seams with a capacity crowd of just under 10,000. We really need to sort out that shed. It's bursting at the seams.
See also: burst, seam
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

be bursting/bulging at the ˈseams (with something)

(also be full to ˈbursting (with something)) (informal) be very or too full (of something): All of our schools are bursting at the seams; we have to build new ones urgently.
See also: bulge, burst, seam
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • burst at the seams
  • bursting at the seams
  • be bulging at the seams
  • be bursting/bulging at the seams
  • seam
  • be coming apart at the seams
  • come apart at the seams
  • come apart at the seams, to
  • come/fall apart at the seams
  • excitement
References in periodicals archive
Eden Park in auckland will be bursting at the seams with a 60,000 capacity crowd.
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In 20 years' time the population areas will be bursting at the seams and what will they need which is in short supply.
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Fewer holidays and more hours in the classroom and the curriculum would not be bursting at the seams.
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AT THIS time of year all these bottle banks and cardboard collection bins seem to be bursting at the seams.
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MERSEYRAIL'S1,100 staff could soon be bursting at the seams with pride.
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A bookstore should be bursting at the seams with new books."
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Ibrox will be bursting at the seams for Gers' last Old Firm clash this season.
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It was pointed out that, in 24 hours' time, Old Trafford would be bursting at the seams for the visit of Bayern Munich.
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If all goes well this season I expect we'll be bursting at the seams by the end of this campaign and into next year.'
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Crime would drop because drug-users wouldn't steal to feed their habit; more police resources could be devoted to fighting crime, immigration officers could concentrate on controlling illegal immigrants; and our prisons wouldn't be bursting at the seams.
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GLAMOUR model Jodie Marsh appeared to be bursting at the seams as she launched a new computer game yesterday.
Free the PlayStation 2