as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
handcuffed by a dearth of funding, the preservation society can do little but stand by as these historic structures deteriorate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in bound
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 hampered
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffed
Adjective
-
Many parents are left feeling helpless—a common experience among pop-parenting adherents.—
Gail Cornwall,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2025 -
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider was helpless to stop his former teammate, falling to the ice as Perron beat Detroit goalie Alex Lyon gloveside.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
For example, the east inner region is bounded by Central Avenue, Eastway Drive, Wendover Road, Randolph Road and the John Belk and Brookshire freeways.—
Desiree Mathurin,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Importantly, this intelligent exploration is bounded by guardrails that provide the necessary limits for survival and efficient path selection.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Allen survived but was left permanently paralyzed, according to police.—
Lauren Liebhaber,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2025
-
According to the release, any savings from ending this type of care will go to supporting paralyzed veterans and amputees.—
Jaden Amos,
Axios,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Williams tied a career high with four made 3-pointers, and Keon Johnson tied a career high with eight assists.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
5 Jan. 2025
-
After the first quarter ended with the score tied at 22, the Jazz dominated the Heat 40-19 in the second quarter to enter halftime with a 21-point lead.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Late in the game, #63 of the Baltimore Colts threw a great block that impeded two of the Giants defenders to spring Alan Ameche (#35) for a long gain.—
Drew Carberry,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Dec. 2024
-
In addition to extreme weather conditions, the cast and crew had to contend with various Hollywood strike shutdowns that impeded filming.—
Dana Feldman,
Forbes,
18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
However, this same quantum state sensitivity makes these atoms ideal for detecting extremely weak signals.—
Paul Lipman,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
In contrast, the founders of the United States, fearful of tyranny, created a weak federal government that could barely impose taxes, let alone establish a national theater.—
Joanna Dee Das,
The Conversation,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
But there are still 5,000 seats that have obstructed views.—
Scott Powers,
The Athletic,
28 Dec. 2024
-
Such large-scale research has been difficult, particularly during the most deadly waves of the pandemic when clinic restrictions and medical emergencies obstructed consistent testing.—
Bloomberg,
The Mercury News,
27 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Handcuffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffed. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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