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
  • In 1950, the wall was reconstructed to control erosion and create artificial beaches.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 23 May 2025
  • Cardinale and his team have long chased the Telegraph, but an earlier an earlier attempt to buy it through All3Media owner RedBird IMI, which is majority controlled out of the Middle East, was blocked by the Conservative Party.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • This process helps us self-audit, regulate our practices and identify areas for improvement.
    Geoff Scott, New York Times, 21 May 2025
  • Carr has pushed companies regulated by the FCC to do the same, resulting in Verizon and T-Mobile dropping DEI programs in order to secure approval for mergers that required the FCC's sign-off.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 20 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
  • Violators could pay up to $200 in fines and up to $250 plus court costs for driving with children who aren't properly restrained.
    Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi, Axios, 22 May 2025
  • Yet, while our adversaries surge ahead, the Pentagon remains restrained by decision-making processes conceived in the 1960s and barely updated since the 1990s.
    Charles Beames, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • May contain slightly more flavonoids compared to green tea.
    Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 14 May 2025
  • Wildfire smoke contains very dangerous, tiny pollutants called PM2.5 that can travel deep into the lungs or enter the bloodstream when inhaled.
    Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • Cruising Altitude: Air traffic control keeps planes moving.
    Zach Wichter, USA Today, 23 May 2025
  • Ramirez ended up paying Vega $5,000 and his insurance company paid him another $20,000 — but Ramirez kept the business, assets and trademark.
    Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 22 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 27 May. 2025.

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