bridle

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb bridle contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of bridle are check, curb, and restrain. While all these words mean "to hold back from or control in doing something," bridle implies keeping under control by subduing or holding in.

bridle an impulse to throw the book down

Where would check be a reasonable alternative to bridle?

The meanings of check and bridle largely overlap; however, check implies restraining or impeding a progress, activity, or impetus.

trying to check government spending

When could curb be used to replace bridle?

Although the words curb and bridle have much in common, curb suggests an abrupt or drastic checking.

learn to curb your appetite

When would restrain be a good substitute for bridle?

The words restrain and bridle are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, restrain suggests holding back by force or persuasion from acting or from going to extremes.

restrained themselves from laughing

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 bridle Though there have been just 15 ballot initiatives that became law in Idaho in more than 112 years, the state GOP has increasingly bridled at successful signature drives, which have led to Medicaid expansion and higher education funding. Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 7 Feb. 2025 On the ground, soldiers bridled at having to fight an impossible, unpopular war, and turmoil spread through the ranks. Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025 Some diplomats bridle at the very idea of haggling with the Taliban, saying that the rights of women and girls are nonnegotiable. Delaney Simon, Foreign Affairs, 2 Jan. 2025 Tchaikovsky’s symphonic ambitions bridle against their keyboard constraints in his early C-sharp sonata; Trifonov tapped both fluidity and clarity out of the bloat. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 20 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for bridle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bridle
Verb
  • This language is shorthand for Kyiv agreeing to permanent neutrality in return for a security guarantee and accepting that Russia controls swathes of Ukraine.
    Tom Balmforth, USA Today, 12 May 2025
  • The two nations to emerge from the bloody partition of British India – Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan – both claim Kashmir in full, despite only controlling parts of it.
    Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 11 May 2025
Verb
  • This is especially true in the current context where most countries are more focused on accelerating technology's capabilities than efforts to regulate it meaningfully and create societal guardrails.
    Yoshua Bengio, Time, 9 May 2025
  • Serotonin plays a crucial role in regulating mood and sleep patterns.
    Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • And birthright citizenship is particularly ill-suited as a vehicle for curbing them.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 17 May 2025
  • Royalty rates paid by companies to extract oil, gas and coal would be cut, reversing Biden’s attempts to curb fossil fuels to help address climate change.
    Kevin Freking, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • The officers did not show their badges until after she was restrained, the video shows.
    Hanna Park, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
  • While the Trump administration insists its actions are necessary for national security, legal challenges have underscored the power of the judiciary to scrutinize and potentially restrain executive immigration policy.
    Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 May 2025
Verb
  • However, coconut oil is 100% fat, and each gram contains nine calories.
    Health, Health, 14 May 2025
  • The fire crew managed to contain the fire entirely as of Tuesday evening.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • Winter desiccation injury on broadleaved and needled evergreens causes foliage browning when plants cannot take up the water needed to keep foliage healthy.
    Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 10 May 2025
  • At the exhibition, Ferraz encouraged the students to keep making art.
    Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 10 May 2025
Verb
  • Rye’s trademark spice helps tame the sugar and bitters in a way bourbon often doesn't.
    Emily Price, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
  • Inflation for housing, the largest CPI component, has also tamed though remains elevated, at 4% annually.
    Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • During the first decades of our century, Peru maintained a moderately free economy, as measured by the Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom.
    Alejandro Antonio Chafuen, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
  • The fastest way to measure your weight is through your body mass index (BMI).
    Sherri Gordon, Health, 15 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bridle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bridle. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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