straitjacket

variants also straightjacket
as in confinement
a jacket that has long arms which can be tied together behind someone's back and that is used to control the movement (as of a violent prisoner or patient) The magician struggled to free his arms from the straitjacket and escape from the tank of water he was submerged in.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 straitjacket This means that the straitjacket of sanctions has been loosened for Kim. Daniel R. Russel, Foreign Affairs, 12 June 2018 The undiluted isolationism of his campaign messaging could prove to be a straitjacket that paralyzes the Trump administration’s foreign policy at a critical time. Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024 Trump should make clear that Washington will no longer allow the accord to impose a straitjacket on broader U.S. policy in the Middle East. Tzvi Kahn, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2017 Lagrange’s method, despite seeming like a mere mathematical convenience at the time, loosened the straitjacket of Newton’s mechanistic view of the universe as a sequence of falling dominos. Charlie Wood, WIRED, 3 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for straitjacket
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straitjacket
Noun
  • Such conditions of confinement come with a hefty price.
    James L. Dold, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2025
  • The 35-year-old Missoula man was sentenced to six months behind bars and six months of home confinement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana said in a news release.
    Sara Schilling, Sacramento Bee, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Michael’s and Hobby Lobby are the major craft chains; Hobby Lobby also has a limited selection of fabrics.
    Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Retail chain Joann is shutting down all of its fabric stores — including several Sacramento-area locations — after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and being sold to a new ownership group.
    Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Later, the ladies end up falling into the trap of talking about politics at dinner (been there!).
    Dan Heching, CNN, 3 Mar. 2025
  • The pandemic and years of economic mismanagement by former military strongman Desi Bouterse had placed Suriname in a debt trap.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The collar supports continuous 360-degree rotation but does not have any click stops.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 5 Mar. 2025
  • The collar was a tragic add on, a memorial to Paulina Dembska.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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