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

Contract pharmacies grew from roughly 1,300 in 2010 to more than 31,000 by mid-2026, dominated by the largest chains. — Casey B. Mulligan, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026 Her income comes from contracts with national brands, including beverage companies, grocery and restaurant chains and sports companies. — Anna Alejo, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 Can Bucky Irving keep the chains moving, so the Buccaneers can control the football? — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Not only are those objectively terrible ideas, but chains of title put guardrails on what studios can do with many iconic characters. — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2026 Lido House's boutique personality—an Autograph Collection signature—helps the hotel stand out from its neighbors—largely nondescript chains. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Managing separate wallets, chains, liquidity providers, banking partners and compliance processes one corridor at a time creates cost and operational risk. — Pratik Khowala, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026 But a Yum Brands-esque approach where — like KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell — the chains operate separately but combine their real-estate footprints and back-office operations makes sense on paper. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Our girl is layered in gold chains and wearing a tiara in the middle of the day, but the years have taken a toll; kudos to the series’ makeup team for making Florence Pugh look older and harsher. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 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

Despite not being produced by instruments as such, the sequences Stanton found playing in his ears were strangely musical; their arrangement, through its patterning, the dynamism of its counterpoint and dissonance, almost symphonic.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
The film will shoot on location in New York City (for sequences chronicling her arrival by ship and her Broadway musicals), the Brazilian city of Maricá (standing in for Los Angeles) and Rio.

— Marcelo Cajueiro, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of sequences

Noun

Getting a diagnosis, navigating treatment and paying for care can present obstacles of their own, particularly for patients who face gaps in access to healthcare.

— Roni Robbins, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Those are big potential obstacles to Hill returning to the Chiefs.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of obstacles

Verb

Because microorganisms in water turn regular mercury into methylmercury, a toxic chemical form that binds tightly to fish tissue, the heavy metal accumulates to higher levels in aquatic animals.

— Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
The Model Context Protocol’s authorization specification binds an access token to the server it was issued for and requires servers to reject tokens that were not.

— Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap, Forbes.com, 22 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 route is expected to come into service next summer, albeit using slower trains that won’t cover the planned 316 miles.

— Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
The backstory In the late 1800s, the Canadian Pacific Railway company began building grand hotels throughout Canada to house passengers traveling on their trains.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of trains

Noun

On another front, because red diesel is currently distributed primarily through agricultural cooperatives and specialized fueling hubs, expanding its throughput across mainstream highway truck stops presents immediate operational hurdles.

— , CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Textile-to-textile recycling may still face technology hurdles, but its biggest obstacle to scale is increasingly financial.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of hurdles

Noun

The jewelry brand, which specializes in demi-fine gold and bejeweled happy face charm bracelets, has seen triple-digit growth this season, according to Sophie Capel-Creasey, a jewelry buyer for Selfridges.

— Mary Wenthur, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
Students at Independence Elementary School in Clarkston, Michigan, are spending their recesses and free time making bracelets, stickers and other items for a cause that is deeply personal to their school community.

— Hannah McIlree, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026