as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the shackles of illiteracy can be just as confining as leg irons
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in binds
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 hampers
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 shackles
Martha Bellisle, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Human rights monitors are trying to keep track as detainees are loaded onto planes in shackles in parts of airports the public can't easily see.
—CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Many, unsurprisingly, led difficult lives not easily bound by the shackles of convention.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2026
Freedom will also be tested by whether the Yemeni people, who were hijacked by the Houthis, are freed from the shackles of that Iranian proxy.
—Felice Friedson, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
When Miller entered the courtroom, he was dressed in an orange jumpsuit and had his hands and feet in shackles.
—Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 9 Mar. 2026
Balat and Kayumi appeared in handcuffs and shackles at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in downtown Manhattan on Monday.
—Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
The former is now in shackles in a New York detention facility after being snatched from Caracas by US special forces in an extraordinary overnight raid.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
He was kept in shackles and handcuffs for 16 hours.
—Steve Karnowski, Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026
Noun
Human rights monitors are trying to keep track as detainees are loaded onto planes in shackles in parts of airports the public can’t easily see.
—Martha Bellisle, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Human rights monitors are trying to keep track as detainees are loaded onto planes in shackles in parts of airports the public can't easily see.
—CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Many, unsurprisingly, led difficult lives not easily bound by the shackles of convention.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2026
Freedom will also be tested by whether the Yemeni people, who were hijacked by the Houthis, are freed from the shackles of that Iranian proxy.
—Felice Friedson, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
When Miller entered the courtroom, he was dressed in an orange jumpsuit and had his hands and feet in shackles.
—Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 9 Mar. 2026
Balat and Kayumi appeared in handcuffs and shackles at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in downtown Manhattan on Monday.
—Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
The former is now in shackles in a New York detention facility after being snatched from Caracas by US special forces in an extraordinary overnight raid.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
He was kept in shackles and handcuffs for 16 hours.
—Steve Karnowski, Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shackles
Noun
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While there wasn’t a 7-foot-4 obstacle blocking the lane, the Clippers still couldn’t get out of their own way and lost to the Spurs for the third time in less than a month, 118-99, at the Intuit Dome.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
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At the same time, the physicists don’t see any insurmountable obstacles.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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From the prohibition against representation that binds the globe in images.—
Timmy Straw,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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The fun of watching Survivor is seeing contestants wriggle out of seemingly impossible binds through social skills, but when that becomes impossible, the show renders itself only frustrating.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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The blackout means that those without access to Starlink or other ways to communicate have been cut off from communicating with the outside world, which also hampers the ability of Iranians to mobilize against the ruling regime.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There are technological hurdles for SpaceX to carry out its plans.—
The Los Angeles Times,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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This is because their use can open a Pandora’s box of unexpected hurdles and new challenges in the garden.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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To address this, Ivo uses a multi-step pipeline that chains together more than 400 model calls for each contract review.—
Charlie Fink,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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Tokyo Central is owned by Japanese company Pan Pacific Retail Management, which also runs the grocery chains Gelson’s and Don Quijote.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
3 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In the northeastern state of Alagoas, some prisoners were handed a Kindle with 300 literary works on them, whereas other, more conservative states have heavy bureaucracy which hinders access, Dias said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
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The instruments used to make antimatter create interference that hinders its study.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Their flight plan for Friday also included rehearsals of basic medical procedures — including chest compressions and methods to clear airway obstructions — to help prepare future Orion crews for possible emergencies in deep space.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Comey was charged with making a false statement and obstruction stemming from his testimony to Congress years earlier.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Lawmakers reject a bill that ties students’ attendance to driver’s licenses.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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Air India is preparing to roll out a policy that ties cabin crew eligibility to Body Mass Index (BMI) standards — a policy that's generating controversy and comment.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shackles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shackles. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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