confine 1 of 2

confine

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word confine different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of confine are circumscribe, limit, and restrict. While all these words mean "to set bounds for," confine suggests severe restraint and a resulting cramping, fettering, or hampering.

our choices were confined by finances

When is it sensible to use circumscribe instead of confine?

The words circumscribe and confine are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, circumscribe stresses a restriction on all sides and by clearly defined boundaries.

the work of the investigating committee was carefully circumscribed

When might limit be a better fit than confine?

The words limit and confine can be used in similar contexts, but limit implies setting a point or line (as in time, space, speed, or degree) beyond which something cannot or is not permitted to go.

visits are limited to 30 minutes

When is restrict a more appropriate choice than confine?

The meanings of restrict and confine largely overlap; however, restrict suggests a narrowing or tightening or restraining within or as if within an encircling boundary.

laws intended to restrict the freedom of the press

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of confine
Verb
Congress would have that prerogative, with the president generally confined to ensuring those laws were carried out appropriately. Claire B. Wofford, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025 Muskies, on the other hand, are mostly confined to a small portion of North America. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 20 Feb. 2025
Noun
It’s also got terrific sets and choreography, with an entire act working within the confines of a hot tub. Barry Levitt, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025 The old rules and confines of what a broadcast has to look like and how a sponsor is made part of the action no longer apply. Steve Bornstein, Sportico.com, 4 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for confine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confine
Verb
  • Lean into comfort with their super soft, modal blends, that feel ultra smooth to the touch and move with your body, rather than restricting, with every bend.
    Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Former child support office head Vicki Turetsky expressed concerns about the request, pointing to federal statutes that restrict access to the information for specific purposes.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • He was imprisoned in Afghanistan from 2019 until just two weeks before the bombing, at which point he was recruited by an ISIS-K member to assist in the attack.
    Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Ocalan, 75, has been imprisoned on the island of Imrali, off Istanbul, since 1999, after being convicted of treason.
    ROBERT BADENDIECK AND SUZAN FRASER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Prior to principal photography, Anderson spent more than a year working with his VFX supervisor Dennis Berardi to develop the full look and scope of the Lost Lands.
    J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Kessler regularly represents the MLBPA in litigation (including in a recent case concerning the scope of the union’s over agents), and has been involved in every past decertification effort by players unions.
    Chris Deubert, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • La Vega was able to grab 21 offensive rebounds, but Decatur’s strong interior defense limited the damage.
    Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Mar. 2025
  • Unlike many other professional sports leagues, MLB doesn’t have a salary cap limiting how much teams can pay players.
    Russell Leung, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • His reign didn’t last long — he was jailed by Mexican authorities in February 2019.
    John Annese, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2025
  • In 2021, former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. vacated the convictions of two of the men jailed for Malcolm X’s murder, Muhammad Aziz and the late Khalil Islam, after a nearly two-year investigation unearthed fresh evidence of witness intimidation and suppression of evidence.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Around 814 million people will be within the eclipse's reach, but only a lucky 44,800 people in far northern Quebec will experience more than a 90% eclipsed sun.
    Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 1 Mar. 2025
  • The Cavaliers now have a 7.5 game lead over the Celtics, essentially putting the No. 1 seed completely out of reach.
    Hunter Felt, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • However, with the Russian death toll in Ukraine, which could be as high as 211,000, how veterans integrate into civilian life and how society views them may be shaped by the extent to which the truth of the war's human costs is revealed.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Whilst Europeans may not appreciate the extent to which a ‘beggar thy neighbour’ philosophy is driven by US security policy, the White House is underestimating the value that America’s wide ranging financial, diplomatic and commercial infrastructure bring it.
    Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • For days, rumors that the federal government was planning a massive immigration enforcement sweep in Los Angeles County on Sunday had put officials on alert and cast a pall of fear and unease across many immigrant communities.
    Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Aren’t there way more immediately threatening things to worry about, like, oh, say, gun violence and immigration sweeps in schools?
    April Daniels Hussar, Allure, 24 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Confine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confine. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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