handcuff

1 of 2

noun

hand·​cuff ˈhan(d)-ˌkəf How to pronounce handcuff (audio)
: a metal fastening that can be locked around a wrist and is usually connected by a chain or bar with another such fastening
usually used in plural

handcuff

2 of 2

verb

handcuffed; handcuffing; handcuffs

transitive verb

1
: to apply handcuffs to : manacle
2
: to hold in check : make ineffective or powerless
handcuffed by strict regulations

Examples of handcuff in a Sentence

Noun the man reluctantly held out his wrists so the policeman could snap on handcuffs Verb wanted to take the trip, but was handcuffed by her responsibility to watch her ailing father 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
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In the ensuing minutes, one of the men would end up on the ground and the other in handcuffs. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The officers later tackled McClain to the ground, struggling to place him in handcuffs and putting him in a stranglehold. Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 Photos from the event appear to show police leading Schafer away from the scene in handcuffs. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2024 Once Moreno stepped out of the car, she was placed in handcuffs. Pilar Arias, Fox News, 28 Feb. 2024 His brother Diego followed in handcuffs shortly thereafter. Marissa Parra, NBC News, 25 Feb. 2024 Afterward, sheriff deputies walked him off in handcuffs toward a side door. Jasmine Hilton, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024 Meanwhile, Coleman is accused of separating the boy’s 15-year-old brother, who was in handcuffs, from his mother and dragging him into a holding cell, according to the lawsuit. Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 Police called for an ambulance and put the man in handcuffs, officials said. Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 17 Feb. 2024
Verb
When the other guard returned, the men handcuffed him, too. Clay Risen, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 One of the Caribbean prison escapees who allegedly kidnapped an American couple during a violent yacht hijacking is seen in a video handcuffed and bloodied as law enforcement throws him in the back of a truck. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 28 Feb. 2024 The body was found handcuffed with gunshot wounds at the roadside, Tijuana’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Fernando Sánchez said Thursday to local media. Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2024 The ad, funded by a Super PAC that backs the governor, shows an upset, pleading young woman handcuffed to the side of a hospital bed. David Lightman, Sacramento Bee, 25 Feb. 2024 Returning to the courtroom after sitting through the gut-wrenching school shooting video, jurors were shown a video of James and Jennifer Crumbley handcuffed in the back of a patrol car, venting about what was happening. Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024 Montana’s body was found on Feb. 7 on the side of the Playas de Rosarito-Tijuana highway in the northern Mexican state of Baja California, with signs of violence and his hands handcuffed, according to an information card issued that day by the Baja California District Attorney’s Office. Natalia Cano, Billboard, 22 Feb. 2024 He was handcuffed and fingerprinted and taken away by Miami-Dade corrections officers through a back door in courtroom 4-3 of Miami-Dade’s criminal courthouse. Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 Demonstrators Thursday shut down a major road in downtown Tel Aviv; a group of hostage family members handcuffed themselves together and blocked the gates during a meeting of the war cabinet. Heidi Levine, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'handcuff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1649, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1649, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of handcuff was in 1649

Dictionary Entries Near handcuff

Cite this Entry

“Handcuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handcuff. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

handcuff

noun
hand·​cuff
ˈhan(d)-ˌkəf
: a metal fastening locking around a wrist and usually connected by a chain or bar with another such fastening
usually used in plural
handcuff verb

More from Merriam-Webster on handcuff

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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