feel constrained

phrase

: to feel that one must do something
She felt constrained to apologize for the harm she'd done.

Examples of feel constrained in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Entrepreneurship is often portrayed as a journey of freedom, innovation and independence — the ultimate career pivot for professionals who feel constrained by traditional roles or corporate structures. — Kathy Caprino, Forbes.com, 27 Feb. 2026 Body cameras don’t guarantee DHS will share evidence, nor would unmasking make ICE agents feel constrained. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026 Will Takaichi feel constrained in that regard? — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026 To live in any society at any time—whether a pre-industrial tribe or a highly urbanized cohort of knowledge workers—is to feel constrained by forces beyond one’s control and for alternatives to seem impossible. — Alice Gregory, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025 Instead, much of the industry research efforts feel constrained by a desire to reinforce comfortable narratives rather than disrupt them. — Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 29 Jan. 2025 So why, with such a radiant double center, does Days of Wine and Roses feel constrained, a little narrow and flat? — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 28 Jan. 2024 And at times the film, roiling with Bernstein's larger-than-life hungers, can feel constrained by its narrative framework. — Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023 For viewers who feel constrained by society’s expectations, these characters’ revelations might provide encouragement. — Vicki Shabo, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Aug. 2023

Rhymes for feel constrained

See All Rhymes for feel constrained

Browse Nearby Words

feel compelled
feel constrained
feel cruddy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Feel constrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feel%20constrained. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All