1
as in bound
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains
chaining up the dog in the backyard
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in connected
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
as in caged
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 chained
Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2025
Her friends described seeing Jesperson on TV while watching the news, wearing an orange jumpsuit and chained up.
—Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 22 Mar. 2025
In a shocking reveal, Adam is chained up in a secret basement as Kingpin cruelly watches over him.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
One by one, the passengers, chained from hands and feet, are pushed along into armored vehicles and buses, transported to an infamous high-security prison.
—Nelson Mauricio Rauda Zablah, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2025
In particular, the ocean battle, with Kong chained to an aircraft carrier as Godzilla attacks from the depths, is a masterclass in tension, staging and environment-building rarely seen in modern blockbuster cinema.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
When our favorite 911 dispatcher (sorry, Josh) wakes up, she is chained up in a basement.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2025
He had been chained outside for so long, the heavy chain became embedded into his body.
—Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2025
Basic infrastructure is shored up by an immigrant underclass, and the elderly are chained to barges that disappear beneath the sea.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
All four women described being chained at the wrist, waist and chest and loaded onto a prison bus, where they were held, in one case, for six hours; in another, for 11 or 12 hours.
—Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2025
Her friends described seeing Jesperson on TV while watching the news, wearing an orange jumpsuit and chained up.
—Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 22 Mar. 2025
In a shocking reveal, Adam is chained up in a secret basement as Kingpin cruelly watches over him.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
One by one, the passengers, chained from hands and feet, are pushed along into armored vehicles and buses, transported to an infamous high-security prison.
—Nelson Mauricio Rauda Zablah, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2025
In particular, the ocean battle, with Kong chained to an aircraft carrier as Godzilla attacks from the depths, is a masterclass in tension, staging and environment-building rarely seen in modern blockbuster cinema.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
When our favorite 911 dispatcher (sorry, Josh) wakes up, she is chained up in a basement.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2025
He had been chained outside for so long, the heavy chain became embedded into his body.
—Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2025
Basic infrastructure is shored up by an immigrant underclass, and the elderly are chained to barges that disappear beneath the sea.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chained
Verb
-
The typically sluggish Phil, outfitted from head to toe in the style of Professor Coltrane Von Tutt, bounded out onto the convention floor with dramatic flair, flipping his homemade purple cape vigorously from side to side.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
18 June 2025
-
The same dog who once could barely walk now bounds across the shelter yard with joyful energy.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Verb
-
As a Mexican and Jewish American woman from West Rogers Park, I am deeply connected to and proud of my roots.—
Jennifer Guzman,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2025
-
Upon his release from prison, Marte connected with Defy Ventures, a nonprofit program offering entrepreneurship training and business mentoring to the formerly incarcerated.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.,Eric Clark,
CNBC,
4 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Among the key discussion points will be the continuance of the fiscal guardrails, enacted as part of the historic, bipartisan budget of 2017 that was crafted when the state Senate was tied at 18-18 and Republicans had more power to influence legislation.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
5 Jan. 2025
-
Williams tied a career high with four made 3-pointers, and Keon Johnson tied a career high with eight assists.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
This can often indicate damage to liver cells, an issue that has been linked to other weight-loss drugs, according to CNBC.—
Kevin Ryan,
Quartz,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The statement suggests that the patient’s liver enzymes were elevated, which often indicates damage to cells in the organ and is an issue that has been linked to some other obesity drugs.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
While the Bears have proposed an enclosed arena, their drawings for the facility in Chicago showed one open-air wall.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
-
The shop and its enclosed fabric traffic are in this thesis.—
Skylar Mitchell,
Essence,
12 May 2025
Verb
-
The most robust effort to date comes from Germany’s Deutsche Fußball Liga, with a mandatory environmental sustainability criteria being integrated into club licensing regulations for Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 in 2022.—
Claire Poole,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
-
Wilmore and Williams were integrated with the Crew-9 mission in September under a plan NASA laid out months ago.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA TODAY,
14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chained. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share