1
as in binding
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in impeding
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of handcuffing
Agents then discharged their weapons and pursued Allen, exchanging gunfire and later tackling and handcuffing him.
—
Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 26 Apr. 2026
After handcuffing Woods, authorities searched his pockets and found two white pills.
—R.j. Rico, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
The video sees one officer remove cash, a pair of AirPods, and pills from his pocket during the search before handcuffing him.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
After handcuffing Woods, authorities searched his pockets and found two white pills.
—R.j. Rico, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Common Knowledge The right’s first instinct after the ruling was to treat it as another case of judges handcuffing a president who was trying to act decisively in the national interest.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
While the juvenile was on his stomach, Officer Dugan allegedly used his espantoon on the back of the juvenile's neck, before handcuffing him and placing him in the patrol car.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
That means there’s no constitutional precedent for handcuffing the commander in chief as congressional Democrats demand.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
For Jones, doing his part meant observing, which led to at least four officers jumping on his back, handcuffing him, crushing his legs, and grinding his forehead into the frozen concrete.
—Evan Minsker, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2026
Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 26 Apr. 2026
After handcuffing Woods, authorities searched his pockets and found two white pills.
—R.j. Rico, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
The video sees one officer remove cash, a pair of AirPods, and pills from his pocket during the search before handcuffing him.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
After handcuffing Woods, authorities searched his pockets and found two white pills.
—R.j. Rico, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Common Knowledge The right’s first instinct after the ruling was to treat it as another case of judges handcuffing a president who was trying to act decisively in the national interest.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
While the juvenile was on his stomach, Officer Dugan allegedly used his espantoon on the back of the juvenile's neck, before handcuffing him and placing him in the patrol car.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
That means there’s no constitutional precedent for handcuffing the commander in chief as congressional Democrats demand.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
For Jones, doing his part meant observing, which led to at least four officers jumping on his back, handcuffing him, crushing his legs, and grinding his forehead into the frozen concrete.
—Evan Minsker, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffing
Verb
-
The meeting’s outcomes will be consolidated into a final report rather than a binding agreement.—
Fabiano Maisonnave,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
According to the outlet, the legally binding agreement had previously been overlooked when the script had been vetted and approved.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The White House placed Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorists, impeding its ability to access international banking services.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
In court filings, the Newton Police Department has disputed the allegations, saying officers responded to multiple calls about roughly 100 spectators at Heartbreak Hill who were impeding the race.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The notion of a mother tongue assumes that language functions as a common thread in families, tying parent to child.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Judge hit a solo home run in the ninth inning, tying Chicago White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami with his MLB-leading 12th of the season, to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead in the ninth inning.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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According to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board, the truck drove through the airport's version of a stop light and the vehicle lacked a transponder, hampering a crash warning system.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
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The cuts to the DOJ program are hampering the work of the Resurrection Project and other groups.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And a key component of the novel and the show is the setting itself, which is a real impeachment of our mental health system, this history of confining and discarding lives that has spilled out into the streets of America.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
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From corrective eye surgery to confining plasma for nuclear fusion research and from entertainment to quickening checkout at supermarkets, lasers are now part of our everyday lives.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Experts warn that the war in Iran and the resulting fuel shocks can strain funding and disrupts field operations, hindering global conservation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Most hypersonic missiles can perform evasive maneuvers while in flight, hindering detection and interception, unlike regular missiles.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Baltimore region has suffered too long from underinvestment in transit services — which is shackling economic growth, harming the environment and constraining quality of life for families.—
Brandon Scott,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Feb. 2026
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Men are often the ones in those ICE facilities who are shackling and chaining detainees.—
Anna Moeslein,
Glamour,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Eric Havens, 58, of Homewood, pleaded guilty to obstructing an officer in Will County court after fleeing multiple law enforcement officials in October.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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The councilmember was arrested and faces two counts of disorderly conduct and obstructing governmental administration, police said.—
Melissa Russo,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffing. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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