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 Well, bridled a little, in that Molly engages in some bondage play as the show goes on. Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025 The judge also bridled that OPM's acting director, Charles Ezell, and his senior adviser, Noah Peters, did not attend the hearing. Emily Feng, NPR, 13 Mar. 2025 Disney has had major friction with Charter Communications and DirecTV over the past couple of years as those operators have bridled at Disney’s demands for higher fees. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2025 Weaker firms may bridle at the costs of compliance; some will go out of business. James K. Galbraith, Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2019 See All Example Sentences for bridle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bridle
Verb
  • Democrats are doing fairly well in the generic congressional ballot, which tests which party voters prefer to control Congress.
    W. James Antle III, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The team has now built the first transistor-like switch that controls exciton flow.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Your liver also plays the very sweet role of regulating your blood sugar levels by releasing glucose and storing glycogen when appropriate.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Among its 14 plant oils are argan kernel and rice bran, which regulate sebum production and loosen dead skin cells, respectively—and, together, leave your pores looking significantly smaller and your skin significantly smoother.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The two defended their actions, including jamming a paper shredder with incriminating documents, as being necessary to secure the release of American hostages being held in Lebanon and to curb Soviet expansionism.
    Josh Meyer, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Japan in particular is a signatory to international efforts to curb spyware abuse, including the Joint Statement on Efforts to Counter the Proliferation and Misuse of Commercial Spyware and the Pall Mall Process Code of Practice for States.
    Vas Panagiotopoulos, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The woman and the infant, who wasn’t restrained, were thrown from the vehicle.
    Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The malnourished woman ran to a neighbor’s house and said she had been restrained in the man’s basement.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This report contains results from surveys and population estimation methods conducted by Fish and Wildlife, Canadian Wildlife Service and numerous state and provincial partners.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2025
  • And while hair perfumes are typically less concentrated and contain less alcohol (to prevent dryness), our testers appreciated that the scent lingers all day long.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Eyes Shop your favorite category or keep scrolling for the year's very best mascaras, brow gels, and eye-shadow palettes.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Adding flip-flops kept it less serious.
    Libby Page, Vogue, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Appointed by President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, former defense minister Lecornu succeeds François Bayrou, who was ousted after losing a confidence vote in parliament over his unpopular plan to tame the deficit.
    Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The report ascribed the loss to the lack of appeal for the party's measures aimed at taming inflation, previous political scandals and weak mobilization of young voters.
    April Roach, CNBC, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Afterward, the researchers measured feelings like calm, purpose, and life happiness.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The future of finance will be shaped by those who lead in defining and measuring the human-AI relationship.
    Kristin Milchanowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bridle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bridle. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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