bind

verb

\ ˈbīnd

bound\ ˈbau̇nd

\; binding

Definition of bind

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to make secure by tying His hands were bound with rope.

b : to confine, restrain, or restrict as if with bonds … she was not wholly bound in mind by her middle-class existence— Delmore Schwartz

c : to put under an obligation binds himself with an oath

d : to constrain with legal authority The court's decision binds them to pay the fine.

2a : to wrap around with something so as to enclose or cover A silk sash bound her waist.

b : bandage bind their wounds

3 : to fasten round about when wreaths of laurel bound them

4 : to tie together binding the wheat into sheaves

5a : to cause to stick together tuna and celery bound by mayonnaise

b : to take up and hold (as by chemical forces) : combine with cellulose binds water

6 : constipate Cheese tends to bind him.

7 : to make a firm commitment for a handshake binds the deal

8 : to protect, strengthen, or decorate by a band or binding a carpet bound with a gold edging

9 : to apply the parts of the cover to (a book)

10 : to set at work as an apprentice : indenture He was bound out to a tailor for one year.

11 : to cause to have an emotional attachment the emotional ties that bind us

12 : to fasten together a pin bound the ends of the scarf

intransitive verb

1a : to form a cohesive mass A little milk will help the ingredients bind.

b : to combine or be taken up especially by chemical action antibody binds to a specific antigen

2 : to hamper free movement or natural action shorts that are guaranteed not to bind

3 : to become hindered from free operation Rust caused the door to bind in its frame.

4 : to exert a restraining or compelling effect a promise that binds

bind

noun

Definition of bind (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : something that binds

b : the act of binding : the state of being bound

c : a place where binding occurs

2 music : tie sense 3

3 : a position or situation in which one is hampered, constrained, or prevented from free movement or action got a bind on his opponent

in a bind

: in trouble seem to have gotten myself in a bind

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about bind

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Examples of bind in a Sentence

Verb

She bound her hair in a ponytail. The machine binds the hay into bales. He doesn't like to wear clothes that bind.

Noun

It's a real bind having to meet all these deadlines. with our vacation week fast approaching, and no arrangements for the care of our pets, we were in a serious bind

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

There could be plenty of movement and there’s bound to be an abundance of intrigue and jockeying for position. — Kellen Becoats, SI.com, "Five Storylines to Watch During the Last Week of the WNBA Regular Season," 2 Sep. 2019 That’s bound to disappoint some Disney fans, who traveled to the state for the opening weekend of the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge attraction. — Chris Morris, Fortune, "Dorian Is Now a Major Hurricane—And It’s Roaring Towards Florida," 30 Aug. 2019 UC San Diego The campus just introduced a feature on its smartphone app that’s bound to be popular. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "San Diego universities worry about growth, money, violence as fall classes begin," 26 Aug. 2019 The sand kicked up by the sheep began to scarify one lunette, stripping the native vegetation that bound it together. — David Maurice Smith, Smithsonian, "A 42,000-Year-Old Man Finally Goes Home," 23 Aug. 2019 The 4th annual celebration will take place on Saturday, October 5th, 2019 in New Orleans' City Park and is bound to be a good time for pastry enthusiasts. — Perri Ormont Blumberg, Southern Living, "The 4th Annual Beignet Fest Returns to New Orleans This October 5th," 15 Aug. 2019 The Roys have retreated to the home in the wake of the devastating series of events that bound them ever more tightly together at the end of season one. — Emily Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "Succession season 2: 4 winners and 4 losers from the premiere," 12 Aug. 2019 Esenberg filed the suit directly with the state Supreme Court rather than a lower court that would be bound by Supreme Court precedents that grant governors expansive veto powers. — Patrick Marley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Conservatives ask state Supreme Court to block Gov. Tony Evers' budget vetoes," 31 July 2019 To facilitate further data acquisition, Facebook grants itself the right to surveil, own, and monetize users’ private information by binding them to constantly evolving take-it- or-leave-it terms at sign-on. — Kate Cox, Ars Technica, "FTC fines Facebook $5 billion, imposes new privacy oversight," 24 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Calling for Asian Representation in Clubs and Classes Vicki Zheng, 15, Lower East Side The night before the deadline to create new student clubs at the Bronx High School of Science, Vicki was in a bind. — Eliza Shapiro, New York Times, "Lock-Ins and Walkouts: The Students Changing City Schools From the Inside," 5 Sep. 2019 As for Friday against the Yankees, the Sox are in a bind. — Julian Mcwilliams, BostonGlobe.com, "David Price is scratched from Friday’s start against the Yankees," 5 Sep. 2019 If his election bid fails and the bill to block a no-deal is backed, Johnson will be in a bind. — Eliza Mackintosh, CNN, "Boris Johnson has just taken a huge gamble over Brexit," 3 Sep. 2019 In a bind, the Colts traded Elway to the Broncos for two veteran players and a first-round pick—reshaping the landscape of the league for the next two decades. — The Si Staff, SI.com, "100 Figures Who Shaped the NFL’s First Century," 28 Aug. 2019 More than anything, that’s what Utah needed: another player to put opponents in a bind. — Rob Mahoney, SI.com, "The Jazz Don't Need to Be a Superteam," 26 July 2019 Raising tariffs on these goods will likely cost American consumers, and leave importers in a bind to find substitutes in the short-term—in the long-run, manufacturers may look to produce these goods outside China. — Dan Kopf, Quartz, "The US will have a hard time not getting these products from China," 30 July 2019 Ending the waivers also would put the other governments that signed the deal, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China, in a bind, Kimball said. — NBC News, "Trump admin weighs tightening restrictions on Iran's nuclear work," 20 July 2019 Numerous parents have found their youngsters in a bind because web filters don’t work and auto-fill features or other algorithms steer young students to inappropriate content by accident. — Betsy Morris, WSJ, "Schools Wrestle With Privacy of Digital Data Collected on Students," 10 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bind.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.