1
as in forcing
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
constrained by conscience to tell only the truth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in regulating
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
constrained his anger at the needless interruption
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of constraining
In effect, Ukraine is replicating siege conditions across the wider battlefield, systematically constraining the flow of supplies to Russian forces rather than isolating a single city.
—
Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
The conflict looms large over the film’s Kosovar Albanian teens — as does institutionalized discrimination against them — but Basholli’s intentionally blinkered focus, through the eyes of her 13-year-old protagonist, proves constraining and liberating all at once.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 May 2026
Grid bottlenecks, aging transport systems, and slow project approvals are constraining expansion just as demand for power and advanced facilities ramps up.
—Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 13 May 2026
That audience members, by virtue of access to a camera, keyboard, and the Internet, can capture, compile, edit, frame, and package an event as news without any regard to journalistic ethics is liberating and constraining at the same time.
—Shepherd Mpofu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
The Iran war has led to a virtual stoppage in ships traversing the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, constraining the flow of global energy supplies.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
The Edds lawsuit seeks a ruling that limits the city’s authority on the existing pavement footprint, constraining its ability to respond to future bluff movement.
—Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Together, these trends suggest that future enrollment levels will be shaped by both expanding and constraining forces.
—Aparna Soni, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
The peace deal should include restrictions on Iran nuclear capabilities and reopening the global trade artery of the Strait of Hormuz, in exchange for lifting all economic sanctions constraining Iran.
—Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
The conflict looms large over the film’s Kosovar Albanian teens — as does institutionalized discrimination against them — but Basholli’s intentionally blinkered focus, through the eyes of her 13-year-old protagonist, proves constraining and liberating all at once.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 May 2026
Grid bottlenecks, aging transport systems, and slow project approvals are constraining expansion just as demand for power and advanced facilities ramps up.
—Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 13 May 2026
That audience members, by virtue of access to a camera, keyboard, and the Internet, can capture, compile, edit, frame, and package an event as news without any regard to journalistic ethics is liberating and constraining at the same time.
—Shepherd Mpofu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
The Iran war has led to a virtual stoppage in ships traversing the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, constraining the flow of global energy supplies.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
The Edds lawsuit seeks a ruling that limits the city’s authority on the existing pavement footprint, constraining its ability to respond to future bluff movement.
—Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Together, these trends suggest that future enrollment levels will be shaped by both expanding and constraining forces.
—Aparna Soni, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
The peace deal should include restrictions on Iran nuclear capabilities and reopening the global trade artery of the Strait of Hormuz, in exchange for lifting all economic sanctions constraining Iran.
—Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constraining
Verb
-
Three people were stabbed on a Rhode Island beach Tuesday as hundreds of teenagers packed the area, forcing beachgoers to flee.—
Louis Casiano , Brooke Taylor,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
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Rather than compounding the advantages of incumbents, Grantham argued on Excess Returns, AI is forcing them into brutal, costly competition with one another.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Airy and breathable, these temperature-regulating pants feature an elastic waistband that’s quick and easy to pull on, and comfortable enough to wear for hours on busy travel days.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
20 May 2026
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Montana lawmakers also passed legislation that bars the state from regulating planet-warming emissions, unless the federal government does so first.—
Ellis Juhlin,
NPR,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The lawsuit also claims officers choked Day and slammed him against a wall, eventually coercing him into confessing to killing Irving and Garcia.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
Prior to his 2011 conviction, Jeffs was charged and convicted of being an accomplice to rape in September 2007 after coercing a 14-year-old to marry her 19-year-old cousin, though the ruling was later overturned by the Utah Supreme Court over faulty jury instructions, according to CBS News.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Leaders increasingly must learn how to orchestrate systems rather than simply manage processes—from supervising individual workflows to coordinating intelligent networks, and from controlling static operations to adapting continuously evolving environments.—
Mira Tzur,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Not ideal if there are non-human entities roaming around controlling whatever is up in the sky.—
David Hookstead OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Her new perspective gazes at us directly, compelling us to meet her eye.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
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For two months, Democrats have forced a series of votes aimed at compelling the Administration to either wind down the conflict or seek authorization.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The most ambitious legislative attempt at curbing presidential war-making was the War Powers Resolution of 1973, passed by Congress over a veto by President Richard Nixon.—
James Cramer,
Baltimore Sun,
11 May 2026
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Those policies fall short of more concrete reforms on tear gas and pepper spray use that many local police departments have been forced to adopt as a result of lawsuits or laws aimed at curbing excessive force.—
Lisa Song,
ProPublica,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The unions argue that carrying out permanent layoffs during a funding lapse violates the Antideficiency Act, which bars agencies from obligating funds without congressional authorization, and exceeds executive authority under the Administrative Procedure Act.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
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This document, signed by a sponsor, is a legally enforceable contract obligating the sponsor to support the immigrant and prevent them from relying on public aid.—
Daniel Shoer Roth,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Boxes from the White House, some containing classified material, had been found crammed into a bathroom at Mar-a-Lago, next to a toilet and below a crystal chandelier.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
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Planters containing other trees and perennials, including hazel, hawthorn, field maples, ferns, and grasses, will continue the forest theme through the colonnade to the main entrance.—
Anne Doran,
ARTnews.com,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Constraining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constraining. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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