as in bind
usually handcuffs plural
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 to bind
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 to impede
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
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Recent Examples of handcuff
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 19 Mar. 2025
Officers then brought the suspect to the ground and placed him in handcuffs.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2025
Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2025
Earlier this month, a Trump voter in Virginia was pulled over and handcuffed by gun-wielding immigration agents.
—Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for handcuff
Noun
After a brief struggle, he was placed in handcuffs and rolled Pirie into a recovery position, according to the warrant affidavit.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 19 Mar. 2025
Officers then brought the suspect to the ground and placed him in handcuffs.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
Officers’ decisions to handcuff a juvenile or individuals are determined by the offender’s actions, number of individuals involved, type of call and/or information discovered that is a concern for public safety.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2025
Earlier this month, a Trump voter in Virginia was pulled over and handcuffed by gun-wielding immigration agents.
—Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for handcuff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuff
Noun
-
That decision put Virginia’s royal governor, Lord Dunmore, in a bind.—
Andrew Lawler,
Smithsonian Magazine,
2 Apr. 2025
-
The White House’s actions have put the association in a bind.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Eligibility for premium subsidies for insurance plans sold in Affordable Care Act marketplaces is also tied to the official poverty level.—
Arthur Allen,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Johnson is currently tied for 27th in the LIV Golf standings this season.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The charges were first dropped a few weeks into President Donald Trump’s second term in part because the case would impede Adams’ ability to do his job as mayor, including cooperating with Trump’s immigration crackdown, the Justice Department’s new acting deputy attorney general wrote.—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2025
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Removing opportunities for public commentary could impede the department’s ability to operate in the public’s interest, according to experts who spoke with Reuters.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The effects could ripple up the chain to textile makers and farmers as everyone seeks lower prices to save costs.—
Marc Bain and Joan Kennedy,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2025
-
In the case of Tom’s, Schaden says teams are eager partners given the chain’s ability to bring in crowds even when there isn’t an event at the venue.—
Brendan Coffey,
Sportico.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Aly Song | Reuters Trump's tariffs on China are already hampering Christmas sales.—
Dan Mangan,Kevin Breuninger,Jeff Cox,Christina Wilkie,Erin Doherty,Ruxandra Iordache,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
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The daytime setting undermined their gimmicks, and Wyatt's early ankle injury hampered his performance, leading to a slow, unengaging match that failed to live up to the intriguing potential of the pairing.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Arbitrary rules shouldn’t hinder deserved recognition.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Objections from the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), however, may hinder plans for the new landing pads on the South Pacific atoll.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The men, who had their hands and ankles shackled, struggled to walk as officers pushed their heads down.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2025
-
In 2023, Daniel Cortes De La Valle experienced multiple seizures at the facility, and one while shackled during a visit to an outside medical provider, a civil complaint alleges.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Mariah Carey just pulled a classic mom move by embarrassing her teenage son in front of his friends.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
5 Apr. 2025
-
The leaking was intended to embarrass Bork, whose nomination was ultimately rejected by the U.S. Senate albeit for reasons unrelated to his rental list.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Handcuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuff. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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