Be bursting/bulging at the seams Definition 1 of 2Pro Tip 1/3Physical Crowding Use it to describe places so packed it's hard to move. The train was bursting at the seams during rush hour. Pro Tip 2/3Beyond Capacity Suggests a situation exceeding normal limits, possibly to an extreme. The shelter was bursting at the seams after the storm. Pro Tip 3/3Not Literal An exaggerated expression, not to be taken for a literal tearing. With new staff, our office is bursting at the seams.