1
as in chain
something that physically prevents free movement
placed shackles on the legs of the prisoners
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in embarrassment
shackles plural
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the shackles of illiteracy can be just as confining as leg irons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to bind
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains
unwilling to shackle the dogs to the wall of the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to hinder
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
shackled by poverty and ignorance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shackle
Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 4 June 2025
After waiting for nearly seven hours, ICE agents detained her, placed her in shackles, and transported her between jails before confining her to Greene County Jail.
—Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025
Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
So why was the 53-year-old grandmother detained by federal officials outside of a Colorado Target this week and shackled in a chain and handcuffs?
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shackle
Noun
There are times when designers let their imaginations run wild to show what jet interiors could look like with the shackles off, though.
—Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 4 June 2025
After waiting for nearly seven hours, ICE agents detained her, placed her in shackles, and transported her between jails before confining her to Greene County Jail.
—Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025
Verb
And then there are the images of the migrants deported to a notorious El Salvador prison, shackled one behind the other in prison garb, their heads bowed and shaven.
—Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
So why was the 53-year-old grandmother detained by federal officials outside of a Colorado Target this week and shackled in a chain and handcuffs?
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shackle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shackle
Noun
-
By the end of that year, Klarna had deals with roughly half of the country’s 100 largest chains.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
13 June 2025
-
These efforts include deploying to the first island chain assets such as the U.S. Marine Corps' NMESIS high-precision anti-ship missile system to the Luzon Strait—a maritime choke point frequented by Chinese warships.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
Tacoma is Seattle’s industrial flunky, the also-ran, the perennial embarrassment.—
Caroline Fraser
June 10,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
-
Eric Adams’ collaboration has delivered nothing but embarrassment, money being stolen from our city coffers, and immigrant families being torn apart.—
Zohran Mamdani,
New York Daily News,
8 June 2025
Verb
-
The flight bound for London Gatwick Airport had 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian aboard.—
Ajit Solanki,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
-
Hoji added that people should get proper legal advice before signing contracts that bind them to some form of confidentiality.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
12 June 2025
Verb
-
In some such as Utah and Nevada, the government controls the vast majority of lands, protecting them from potential exploitation but hindering growth.—
Matthew Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
-
Civilian layoffs would hinder critical administrative support to sworn personnel and harm essential services citywide, McDonnell stressed.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
In 2021, for instance, the queen’s diamond bracelets sold for triple their initial estimate.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
9 June 2025
-
For Berger, one of the first people to spring to mind was Fiona Dourif, who plays Dr. Cassie McKay, a single mother with a mysterious ankle bracelet that hints at a past skirmish with the law.—
Jenelle Riley,
Variety,
6 June 2025
Noun
-
Existing Challenges While the impact of these types of fintechs is already significant, their work is not without its own set of obstacles, and several ongoing challenges remain.—
Murtaza Ali,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Raise the stakes, place insuperable obstacles before the protagonist, have the protagonist somehow surmount them while becoming braver and better.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Verb
-
In the first game, the Dodgers and Astros were tied 2-2 going into the bottom of the 10th.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
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After Indiana cashed in with a basket on the other side of the court, McConnell stole the inbounds pass and tied the score.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
12 June 2025
Verb
-
Protesters should remain on sidewalks where possible and avoid impeding traffic or emergency access, Honeycutt said.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2025
-
Earlier that day, a large rally had been held in nearby Grant Park, in protest of the arrest of David Huerta, a Los Angeles labor leader who was being held in federal custody for conspiracy to impede an officer during an immigration raid on a Los Angeles business on Friday.—
Emily Witt,
New Yorker,
11 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shackle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shackle. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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