1
as in restriction
something that limits one's freedom of action or choice
a time-honored tradition is fine as long as it doesn't become a fetter that prevents us from trying something new
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
claims that government regulations are unnecessary fetters that keep him from achieving his business goals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in chain
something that physically prevents free movement
considered a seat belt a pointless fetter—until one saved his life in an auto accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to bind
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains
museum artifacts that serve as somber reminders of the days when slaves were fettered with irons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to impede
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
the belief that too many rules and restrictions fetter children's creativity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of fetter
Jeremy Mennis,
The Conversation,
1 May 2026
And just as sweet is releasing the fetters of material limits by reshaping the world with innovative ideas in energy.
—
The Christian Science Monitor,
Christian Science Monitor,
12 Mar. 2026
The short life of Alexander Hamilton both feeds and fetters Vaill’s project.
—
Jane Kamensky,
The Atlantic,
10 Oct. 2025
Like all great period romances, Maurice places aching desire at the forefront, with the men's palpable yearning made all the more soul-shattering by the fetters of their time.
—
Lia Beck,
EW.com,
25 June 2025
But Trump famously wriggles free from such fetters and resists being hemmed in.
—
Peter D. Feaver,
Foreign Affairs,
6 Nov. 2024
One man even contrived somehow to get across while still in iron fetters.
—
Adam Goodheart,
Smithsonian Magazine,
25 Sep. 2023
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
This comes in the wake of millions of apps being dumped from Play Store for not being good enough and an expansion of Google’s Play Integrity API to fetter app behaviors on phones no longer eligible for security updates — Android 12 or older.
—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
It’s become a common refrain by the government that the president’s executive power cannot be fettered by the courts.
—
Ella Lee,
The Hill,
19 Mar. 2025
Our vote, secret and simple, not fettered by any AI or the eyes of an authoritarian who threatens those who disagree with him, ensures that our union endures.
—
John D. Witiak,
Baltimore Sun,
6 July 2024
Ruskin felt insulted and legally fettered by the verdict.
—
Adrian Dannatt,
New York Times,
6 Dec. 2023
Certain wandered between rows of mannequins fettered with leg irons, claustrophobic dungeon cells and a towering guillotine.
—
Jeremy Redmon,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Oct. 2023
Noun
To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony.
—
Jeremy Mennis,
The Conversation,
1 May 2026
And just as sweet is releasing the fetters of material limits by reshaping the world with innovative ideas in energy.
—
The Christian Science Monitor,
Christian Science Monitor,
12 Mar. 2026
The short life of Alexander Hamilton both feeds and fetters Vaill’s project.
—
Jane Kamensky,
The Atlantic,
10 Oct. 2025
Like all great period romances, Maurice places aching desire at the forefront, with the men's palpable yearning made all the more soul-shattering by the fetters of their time.
—
Lia Beck,
EW.com,
25 June 2025
But Trump famously wriggles free from such fetters and resists being hemmed in.
—
Peter D. Feaver,
Foreign Affairs,
6 Nov. 2024
One man even contrived somehow to get across while still in iron fetters.
—
Adam Goodheart,
Smithsonian Magazine,
25 Sep. 2023
Verb
While some players were able to weather that storm – defenseman Joel Edmundson played all 82 games for the first time in a career often fettered by injuries – others paid a price.
—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
This comes in the wake of millions of apps being dumped from Play Store for not being good enough and an expansion of Google’s Play Integrity API to fetter app behaviors on phones no longer eligible for security updates — Android 12 or older.
—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
It’s become a common refrain by the government that the president’s executive power cannot be fettered by the courts.
—
Ella Lee,
The Hill,
19 Mar. 2025
Our vote, secret and simple, not fettered by any AI or the eyes of an authoritarian who threatens those who disagree with him, ensures that our union endures.
—
John D. Witiak,
Baltimore Sun,
6 July 2024
Ruskin felt insulted and legally fettered by the verdict.
—
Adrian Dannatt,
New York Times,
6 Dec. 2023
Certain wandered between rows of mannequins fettered with leg irons, claustrophobic dungeon cells and a towering guillotine.
—
Jeremy Redmon,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Oct. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fetter
Noun
-
Last week, the UK government banned social media for under-16s starting next year, modeling its restrictions on those set by the Australian government in December.
-
Some of the restrictions were partially or fully reversed after public backlash and court challenges.
Noun
-
There was an element of cynicism, but not on the part of determined prosecutors who overcame obstacles and brought the case to guilty pleas by three defendants and the conviction on 21 counts of the public official who ignited the scandal.
-
But obstacles veered her away from art for years.
Noun
-
His cuffs and chains were removed and a few minutes later he was pronounced dead, according to the family.
-
The federal government is suing 99 Ranch Market, alleging the nation’s largest Asian supermarket chain is discriminating against employees who are not Chinese.
Verb
-
Its binding values of labor and community remain relevant, even if today’s Hollywood rarely speaks to them.
-
Against a multi-million-dollar realization gap that compounds across years, the investment in capability is rarely the binding constraint.
Verb
-
The investigation also compliments previous claims that CCC’s regulations impede coastal infrastructure projects, which has drawn criticism from multiple political fronts over the last year.
-
Supporters had campaigned for Merlin to be allowed into the Azteca to witness Mexico’s final group game — but the dabbler found his free passage impeded on Wednesday evening by FIFA regulations.
Noun
-
Her colleague Maria Amato adds a harder constraint — the most effective leadership development happens on the job, inside the relationships management layers exist to create.
-
How supply chains are slowing defense production S&P Global Ratings found the same constraint.
Noun
-
However, there are still some hurdles to surmount, particularly financing.
-
Here’s how experts suggest overcoming these hurdles.
Noun
-
This was most obvious during Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour, when brands capitalized on all things Taylor — friendship bracelets, themed drinks and even concert outfits.
-
Days later, Kelce tried and failed to give her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it at her Kansas City show, the first domino to fall in the couple’s fabled romance.
Cite this Entry
“Fetter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fetter. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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