as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
students and parents who want to throw off the trammels of outdated school policies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to bind
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains
years after his death, she was still trammeled by inconsolable grief for her deceased husband
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to impede
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
the new paperwork requirements will only trammel us and lower our productivity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 trammel
Wesley Morris, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024
Step 2: Measure and Cut Cubby Dividers Use trammel points to mark a rounded edge (an arc with a 7-1/2-inch radius) on three 6-1/2 x 19-inch boards.
—Lucy Fitzgerald, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2024
Use trammel points to mark a rounded edge (an arc with a 7-1/2-inch radius) on three 6-1/2 x 19-inch boards.
—Lucy Fitzgerald, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 July 2022
Join the top and drop leaf; then use a large trammel to mark the curved edge.
—Thomas Klenck, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2021
Make a trammel, or beam compass, that pivots on a 3⁄8-in.
—Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 7 Aug. 2021
Build the trammel out of 1⁄2-in.-thick plywood, mount the router on one end and install a straight bit.
—Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 7 Aug. 2021
Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Diggs was trammeled by knee issues throughout 2023 as the 26-year-old was sidelined for 15 games after tearing his left ACL.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
The Founders gave an independent judiciary the responsibility of preventing the other branches from trammeling fundamental liberties of citizens.
—oregonlive, 23 Jan. 2020
The Patriots defense, which is on pace to break NFL records for most sacks and fewest points allowed, has trammeled and trampled opposing offenses, but the schedule keeps serving up red meat or raw quarterbacks for them to prey upon.
—BostonGlobe.com, 9 Oct. 2019
Now the area is brimming with new construction, and Ms. Medvedow, 63, is leading her institution into another less-trammeled area.
—New York Times, 22 June 2018
Those federal laws, along with state and local equivalents, provide broad and effective remedies for unequal pay without trammeling the hiring process.
—Gerald Skoning, WSJ, 12 Dec. 2017
When applied to armed protests, that mindset takes our country to a dangerous place: The Second Amendment and state open carry laws cannot trammel the free speech rights of unarmed protesters and the necessity for law enforcement to keep the peace.
—Olivia Li, Slate Magazine, 17 Oct. 2017
Noun
The moment comes right before America Ferrera’s big monologue about the trammels of womanhood, when Robbie soliloquizes, too, about the loss of her self-esteem.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024
Step 2: Measure and Cut Cubby Dividers Use trammel points to mark a rounded edge (an arc with a 7-1/2-inch radius) on three 6-1/2 x 19-inch boards.
—Lucy Fitzgerald, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2024
Use trammel points to mark a rounded edge (an arc with a 7-1/2-inch radius) on three 6-1/2 x 19-inch boards.
—Lucy Fitzgerald, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 July 2022
Join the top and drop leaf; then use a large trammel to mark the curved edge.
—Thomas Klenck, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2021
Make a trammel, or beam compass, that pivots on a 3⁄8-in.
—Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 7 Aug. 2021
Build the trammel out of 1⁄2-in.-thick plywood, mount the router on one end and install a straight bit.
—Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 7 Aug. 2021
Verb
Children arrive into a trammeling grid of haves and have-nots set up long before their birth, a net that individual struggles serve only to tighten.
—Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Diggs was trammeled by knee issues throughout 2023 as the 26-year-old was sidelined for 15 games after tearing his left ACL.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
The Founders gave an independent judiciary the responsibility of preventing the other branches from trammeling fundamental liberties of citizens.
—oregonlive, 23 Jan. 2020
The Patriots defense, which is on pace to break NFL records for most sacks and fewest points allowed, has trammeled and trampled opposing offenses, but the schedule keeps serving up red meat or raw quarterbacks for them to prey upon.
—BostonGlobe.com, 9 Oct. 2019
Now the area is brimming with new construction, and Ms. Medvedow, 63, is leading her institution into another less-trammeled area.
—New York Times, 22 June 2018
Those federal laws, along with state and local equivalents, provide broad and effective remedies for unequal pay without trammeling the hiring process.
—Gerald Skoning, WSJ, 12 Dec. 2017
When applied to armed protests, that mindset takes our country to a dangerous place: The Second Amendment and state open carry laws cannot trammel the free speech rights of unarmed protesters and the necessity for law enforcement to keep the peace.
—Olivia Li, Slate Magazine, 17 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trammel
Noun
-
The branches of the military, which maintain their own communication networks, have their own obstacles.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
For Superman, that means preventing any of the negatives that do initially arise from becoming obstacles or bandwagon narratives in the press.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
There, you’re bound to find small and large treasures that will make a big impact on your cooking space.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
6 July 2025
-
She'd been bound and raped before she was wrapped in trash bags and put in the trash can.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
The Tennessean,
6 July 2025
Verb
-
Will this impede efforts to advance gender equality, especially in technology sectors?—
Lauren Buitta,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
But some of the worst economic effects will be felt by future generations, who, according to one Gen Zer interviewed by CNBC, are already concerned the deficit will impede their ability to collect social services.—
Leslie Picker,
CNBC,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
Even after stopping at an intersection, drivers may need to crane their necks to see around obstructions such as trees, light poles or sign posts that block visibility.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
10 July 2025
-
An 11th person has been charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy.—
Dallas Morning News,
Twin Cities,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
Joining him was David Lipsky, who made a clutch eagle on the par-5 17th to tie Grillo and Campbell at 18-under, but a costly bogey on 18 kept him out of the playoff.—
Savannah Leigh Richardson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 July 2025
-
Given that the government generally does not do great things with its money, tying its spending priorities to debt service is probably a positive.—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
Verb
-
The list, created following a Trump executive order, aimed to identify jurisdictions hindering federal immigration laws and potentially withhold their funding.—
Victoria Moorwood,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
-
In addition to drying out the atmosphere, the dust also increases wind shear and atmospheric stability — two other key factors that can hinder storm formation.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
One of the biggest hurdles was the architecture of the building.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
12 July 2025
-
Frequently the Swedes have been impressive in the early stages of tournaments only to fall at the final hurdle.—
Asif Burhan,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
The fire was initially confined and contained, with multiple strategies employed to protect structures, facilities, and infrastructure.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
14 July 2025
-
In one study, researchers induced postnatal stress in a mouse (confining her, forcing her to swim) and separated her from her pups at unpredictable intervals.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trammel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trammel. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share