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
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Recent Examples of chain
Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
Burger After launching nearly a dozen locations through Texas, Illinois and New York, a viral smashburger chain from Pasta Bar and Sushi by Scratch Restaurants chef Phillip Frankland Lee is now open in Westwood Village.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Brendan Marks, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Our first glimpse of Tommy chained up, pleading to be let go, is through the eyes of a young Macedonian refugee, Katrina (Monika Frajczyk), being given a tour of the large countryside manor where she’s just been hired by Chris for twice-a-week housework.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chain
Noun
Police also recovered, underwater near the steel bridge, Crafts’ chain saw and a saw blade.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
Burger After launching nearly a dozen locations through Texas, Illinois and New York, a viral smashburger chain from Pasta Bar and Sushi by Scratch Restaurants chef Phillip Frankland Lee is now open in Westwood Village.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
Look no further than how Duke surged in the second half, despite Ngongba and Foster both chained to the pine.
—Brendan Marks, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Our first glimpse of Tommy chained up, pleading to be let go, is through the eyes of a young Macedonian refugee, Katrina (Monika Frajczyk), being given a tour of the large countryside manor where she’s just been hired by Chris for twice-a-week housework.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chain
Noun
-
These could be arranged into longer, songlike sequences that played automatically.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
There is one particularly inventive sequence that blends a rendering of Mario in his original 2D 8-bit form, blurry pixels and all, with the 3D beauty of the more modern iterations.—
Lindsey Bahr,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The robot can respond to voice commands and is programmed to keep safe distances from people and obstacles.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The 21st century’s obstacles for young men—as seen in deaths of despair and lagging employment—have been amply publicized both by credible journalists and by charlatans such as Fuentes.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This assortment also includes a large selection of earrings, bracelets, anklets, rings, hair tie sets, keychains and more.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
There is some evidence that alternatives to detention, including electronic monitoring methods such as smart phone apps and ankle bracelets, or regular check-ins with case managers, can keep people in the system during years-long immigration cases.—
Martin Kaste,
NPR,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
All decisions of the judges regarding this Promotion are final and binding in all respects.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
-
According to reports, the vessel was loaded with two million barrels of oil from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and was bound for China.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The original complaint claims the airport violated federal grant assurances connected to more than $1 million the county accepted since 2022, when the effective ban on ultralights began.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The cave system was significantly impacted by construction of the Maya Train under former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, intended to connect Tulum and other tourist destinations to remote areas.—
Ryan Brennan
April 4,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Is there a chain of command things are alerted trains are stopped.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In this case, being aboard a train at all owed more to politics than poetry.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Kansas City Chiefs’ planned $3 billion stadium in Wyandotte County cleared a major hurdle on Friday, when the Kansas Legislature passed a bill creating a sports authority and renewing the underlying incentive program that will finance the megaproject.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The four-person crew of Artemis II is at Kennedy Space Center in Florida preparing to lift off and travel to the moon as early as Wednesday — and getting ready for any hurdles space may throw at them.—
Mark Strassmann,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The least common dates are March 22 and 24, tied with nine instances apiece.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Raynaud finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings, who rallied from a 16-point deficit to tie the game in the fourth quarter before the Hawks staged a 14-2 run to pull away.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chain. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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