1
as in sequence
a series of things linked together
the chain of events that led the American colonies to seek independence from Great Britain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
this community will grow and prosper only after it has thrown off the chains of ignorance and prejudice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bracelet
something that physically prevents free movement
chains on the prisoner's ankles
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to bind
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains
chaining up the dog in the backyard
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to connect
to put or bring together so as to form a new and longer whole
the prosecutor meticulously and brilliantly chained all the evidence together in his closing argument
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 chain
Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 14 Mar. 2026
Last week, Hegseth officially declared Anthropic a supply-chain risk.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
Dylan Butts,matthew Chin, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
Shackles hang from the banisters so visitors to the church can picture how these people were chained together.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chain
Noun
The chain of 14 islands lies 6,000 miles west of Los Angeles and serves as a defense hub in the Pacific.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 14 Mar. 2026
Last week, Hegseth officially declared Anthropic a supply-chain risk.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
While China’s robotics companies have impressed viewers with their flashy kung-fu routines, the analyst said advances in reasoning, longer task durations, and the ability to chain multiple tasks together to perform different chores will matter more this year.
—Dylan Butts,matthew Chin, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
Shackles hang from the banisters so visitors to the church can picture how these people were chained together.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chain
Noun
-
Under the tutelage of his Marxist mentor, Petzold produced a sequence of disruptive, innovative works.—
Holden Seidlitz,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
-
In one sequence, Tatum fired a quick-trigger pass to Baylor Scheierman in the corner, and when Scheierman misfired, Brown grabbed the rebound and fed Payton Pritchard (19 points, seven assists) for an open three.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At full height, the ship has an air draft of about 328 feet, but the tilting system enables the masts to lower when necessary, allowing the vessel to pass beneath bridges or other obstacles along its route, The Maritime Executive writes.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The war is constraining oil exports and prompting major producers like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iraq to scale back output as shipments face growing obstacles.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The star of the activity is, of course, a DIY charm bracelet station.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Best for kids ages 3 and up, the kit includes four bracelets to decorate and lots of swappable resin stickers, perfect for siblings or cousins to craft together.—
Chaunie Brusie,
Parents,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When the war began, some 81 container vessels were bound for ports along the Strait of Hormuz, according to Kpler.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Ensign pointed to a ruling by the 3rd Circuit, which is only binding to that circuit, in the case of Mahmoud Khalil, which found that a district court erred by releasing someone from immigration detention through a habeas corpus petition.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Officers connected Spano to the hit-and-run and arrested him.—
Dave Carlin,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
But he's kept going door-to-door to make sure that children who have HIV are still taking their medications, connected to medical care and feeling supported.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In December, a thief stole the control stick from an R train parked under southern Brooklyn — the same section of track where a young, repeat train thief recklessly threw a train in reverse during a joyride months earlier.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
While trains are now back to their normal schedules, NJ Transit officials still urged riders to double-check their train times to avoid any confusion.—
John Dias,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Revenue sharing will be the biggest hurdle to get over.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Obtaining a passport in time for a looming voter registration deadline is another potential hurdle.—
Julie Carr Smyth,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Teruaki Sato hit a game-tying RBI double before Shota Morishita, who entered the game as an injury replacement for Seiya Suziki, belted a three-run home run to give Japan a 5-2 lead.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
-
During an interview on the 2026 SAG Actor Awards red carpet, Law Roach—Zendaya’s longtime image architect—suggested to a reporter that Zendaya and Tom Holland had tied the knot.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chain. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
