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.

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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 So now, even the bankers are wriggling out of Carney’s globalist climate straitjacket. Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2025 Basketball teams in an 0-3 straitjacket like the Heat are 0-118 all-time on advancing. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2025 The state of the economy and Trump’s political standing in the medium term will be largely determined by whether Trump can Houdini his way out of a tariff straitjacket of his own fashioning. The Editors, National Review, 29 Apr. 2025 Thompson, who some Rockets officials privately predict could become as dynamic and dominant as any of their young talents, put Curry in the proverbial straitjacket. Anthony Slater, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for straitjacket
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straitjacket
Noun
  • Writing becomes an act of containment—not confinement.
    Matthew Clark Davison, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
  • The former president returned to confinement in the Seoul Detention Center about 20 km (12 miles) south of the capital after the decision.
    Reuters, NBC news, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • Amazon’s past success with using Prime Day to drive sales and attract new members spurred other major retail chains to schedule competing sales in July.
    Anne D'Innocenzio, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2025
  • Its over-the-shoulder chain instantly elevates any outfit, and the bag's rainbow tweed look is sophisticated, polished, and flirty all at once.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 July 2025
Noun
  • Affluent families sometimes fall into the trap of overprotecting their kids, removing all struggle in the name of love.
    Anatoly Iofe, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
  • The idealistic and naively optimistic Superman walks right into the trap.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • With its half-and-half pinstripe design, chevrons on the shoulder and V-necked collar, the lightweight kit was launched on Danish television in February 1986.
    Peter Carline, New York Times, 6 July 2025
  • The dress, a cotton poplin A-line shirt dress, featured a sharp collar, button-down front, and a distinctive grosgrain tab at the waist adorned with Thom Browne’s signature red, white and blue stripe — a quiet tribute to the holiday’s colors.
    WWD Staff, Footwear News, 5 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Straitjacket.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straitjacket. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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