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.
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Recent Examples of straitjacket
As the rangers discovered, what is planned for today might become tomorrow's straitjacket.
—
Nate Bennett, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
Determining just when a clear identity becomes a tactical straitjacket is a fine line to walk.
—Nancy Froston, New York Times, 30 June 2025
But the movie never busts out of its tame, slightly cheeky straitjacket, and the smoothness of its execution can be a bit cozy at times.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
Cold War history has become a straitjacket constraining how Americans perceive the world.
—Justin Winokur, Foreign Affairs, 13 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for straitjacket
Nate Bennett, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
Determining just when a clear identity becomes a tactical straitjacket is a fine line to walk.
—Nancy Froston, New York Times, 30 June 2025
But the movie never busts out of its tame, slightly cheeky straitjacket, and the smoothness of its execution can be a bit cozy at times.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
Cold War history has become a straitjacket constraining how Americans perceive the world.
—Justin Winokur, Foreign Affairs, 13 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for straitjacket
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straitjacket
Noun
-
He was released to home confinement and his trial was set for June 1, 2026.—
Julia Bonavita , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The team managed to achieve a steady-state H-mode plasma at temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius (180 million degrees Fahrenheit), which is a high-confinement regime essential for practical energy input.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Additionally, the chain is offering a deal that allows customers to buy any large pizza at regular menu price and get another large, 1-topping pizza for free.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
20 Sep. 2025
-
The fitness chain opened its first gym in Covina in 1984 and now has 700 locations across North America.—
Shawn Price,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In 2016, when Bad Bunny first emerged, he was identified with a style known as Latin trap, a woozy and thudding hybrid that owes something to American hip-hop.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
17 Sep. 2025
-
There’s one more Medicare trap to consider that applies regardless of your election for Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage.—
Steve Vernon,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Marina took advantage of a couple of penalties to move upfield, a horse collar tackle and a pass interference call where Saporito and Ramos took turns running the ball to move into scoring territory.—
David Delgado,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
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Produced for less than $300, the CESS uses braces, gloves, a collar, goggles, a weighted vest, and shoes with thick foam inserts to simulate the elderly’s experiences of blurry vision, stiff joints, poor balance, and fine-motor impairment.—
Rachel Pearson,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Straitjacket.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straitjacket. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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