CHAINS Synonyms: 216 Similar and Opposite Words

chains 1 of 2

noun

plural of chain

as in sequences

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

as in obstacles

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in handcuffs

something that physically prevents free movement chains on the prisoner's ankles

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chains

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of chain

as in binds

to confine or restrain with or as if with chains chaining up the dog in the backyard

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in strings

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

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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 chains

Noun

Never park on dry vegetation, ensure trailer chains do not drag and dispose of smoking materials responsibly. — Brian Sherrod, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 Four other grocery chains with stores in California — 99 Ranch Market, Trader’s Joes, Whole Foods Market and Sprouts Farmers Market — also landed on USA Today’s list. — Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026 Bryan, without chains on his tires, drives up a treacherous farm-country road in the snowy night, which lends the movie a fairy-tale atmosphere. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026 Numerator estimates that members made 144 million trips for food-court fare last year, effectively putting Costco on the same scale as major regional fast-food chains like In-N-Out and Zaxbys. — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026 But both smoothie chains are seeing similar trends boost their sales. — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026 Yemeni coffee and mochas served today at Starbucks and other large chains are two vastly different drinks. — Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2026 Thompson, then 23, and Rocco James Surace, then 30, beat Ivester with chains, burned her with cigarettes and assaulted her with a chair leg during the horrific ordeal inside the Sunny Isles Motel, 16375 Biscayne Blvd. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026 Marmalade Cafe is joining the ranks of other California restaurant chains that have filed for bankruptcy this year. — Ella Chakarian, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Verb

Restaurant chains Chipotle and QDOBA pulled jalapeños last week. — Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026 To address this, Ivo uses a multi-step pipeline that chains together more than 400 model calls for each contract review. — Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026 Tokyo Central is owned by Japanese company Pan Pacific Retail Management, which also runs the grocery chains Gelson’s and Don Quijote. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025 Texas Roadhouse, which also operates casual dining chains Bubba’s 33 and Jaggers, is expected to report third-quarter results at the end of October. — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chains

Noun

Some of this is down to the sequences in English; Oguri’s accent is sometimes hard to make out, which isn’t helped by the low sound mix and Miike’s tendency in dialogue scenes to show a reverse shot of the person not talking.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
The Housewife is certainly at its most potent during those earlier sequences, when Sheridan’s Lelyveld is under the mistaken impression that Hermine Ryan is the unwitting victim rather than the unrepentant perpetrator.

— Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of sequences

Noun

After the dust cleared, the Patriots fan was in handcuffs and eyewitnesses were alleging that this was all over the Pats fan trying to sit in the wrong seat.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Multiple officers pinned him facedown and placed him in handcuffs.

— Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of handcuffs

Verb

There’s a whole literary multiverse that now binds many of his stories that didn’t exist at the time of Carrie.

— Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026
That’s what binds all our projects together — moving past short-termism, which is a danger with AI.

— Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of binds

Verb

Antinous attempts to shrug off the token’s return, but seemingly recognizes it, and realizes in full that Odysseus has returned for revenge when the man strings his bow.

— Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
From Key Largo to Key West, the Overseas Highway strings the islands together like beads, running past lighthouses, underwater coral reef parks, and across the postcard-worthy Seven Mile Bridge.

— Sarah Rose, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2026

Definition of strings

Noun

The leaders of America’s largest transit systems say there are common problems that plague them all, including riders who do not pay their fare on trains and buses, cybersecurity threats and a need to modernize systems.

— Tia Mitchell, AJC.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Per-gallon prices for diesel, the fuel type utilized in trucks and trains, hit fresh records on Wednesday.

— Jeff Cox,Darla Mercado, CFP®, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of trains

Noun

The high speed rail project, which voters first approved nearly 20 years ago, has become a political liability for Democrats as budget estimates have ballooned and the project has been delayed for years due to litigation and regulatory hurdles.

— Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026
As Nabers wrestled with hurdles that stood in his way, the noise of a 24/7 NFL news cycle desperate to know Nabers’ next steps swirled around them.

— Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of hurdles

Noun

It has recently been expanded with more affordable iterations that start around $1,000, such as silk-cord bracelets with a gold and diamond motif.

— Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
The movement’s tiny footprint became a catalyst for experimentation, giving Blancpain’s designers unusual freedom, resulting in Ladybird watches concealed within bracelets, cuffs, rings, and pendants.

— Taylor Stoddard, Robb Report, 17 Sep. 2026