as in bind
something that physically prevents free movement
the man reluctantly held out his wrists so the policeman could snap on handcuffs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in binds
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains
wanted to take the trip, but was handcuffed by her responsibility to watch her ailing father
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hampers
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
the fear that the new mandatory, standardized tests will handcuff the state's teachers, who will have to specifically tailor their lesson plans for the test
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffs
Noun
-
While the injury puts the Giants in a bind, manager Bob Melvin told reporters the Giants consider the injury to be minor.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
25 July 2025 -
Such actions — done in the name of good governance and often with significant support from voters — are now leaving Democrats in a bind.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
This medication binds to and removes excess iron or copper from the body, helping prevent further liver damage in conditions like hemochromatosis and Wilson disease.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Now the new study, led by UNM professor Brent Wagner, MD, has found a connection between gadolinium and oxalic acid, a molecule found in foods which binds with metal ions, leading to medical issues such as kidney stones.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The Hustle reached out to some longtime independent swim school operators who hold board positions with the US Swim School Association to ask for their opinions on the influx of chains like Goldfish and others.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Between dodging axe blades and wriggling free of chains, the limber lord explains his intent: to inspire people to face their own terrors.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Let go of whatever impedes your progress and growth.—
Georgia Nicols,
The Denver Post,
2 Mar. 2025
-
However, any individual who impedes law enforcement operations, potentially threatening the safety of law enforcement agents and subjects of their investigations, is subject to investigation and potential prosecution by the Department of Justice.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Combined income is your adjusted gross income, plus nontaxable interest, such as interest on certain bonds, plus half of your Social Security benefits received that year.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
14 July 2025
-
Huffaker, who is out on bond, is slated to be sentenced Oct. 15, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.—
Julia Marnin
July 14,
Sacbee.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
North Korea has been slowly easing the curbs imposed during the pandemic and reopening its borders in phases.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
28 July 2025
-
In April, the Trump administration decided against imposing additional export curbs on H20 chips after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang paid $1 million for a seat at a Mar-a-Lago dinner, NPR reported.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
28 July 2025
Noun
-
This was always going to be an important summer for the Minnesota Wild, with their superstar eligible for a long-term extension and the shackles of the Zach Parise-Ryan Suter buyouts finally off.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
-
On the one hand, China is the all-purpose bogeyman that should remove the shackles of regulation.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
23 July 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffs. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share