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

Here are a handful of restaurants, some of which are at least regional chains, in the area. —

Dallas Morning News, 7 Apr. 2026 Iran has formed human chains in the past around its nuclear sites at times of heightened tensions with the West. —

Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026 The same year, California established a Fast Food Council and gave it the authority to raise the minimum wage at fast-food chains to twenty dollars an hour. —

John Cassidy, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026 Crosslinking strengthens materials by bonding molecular chains together, improving durability and stability under stress. —

Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Apr. 2026 Hotel chains silently reduce perks. —

Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026 Motorists are advised to carry a complete winter storm emergency kit, including tire chains, booster cables, a flashlight, shovel, blankets, extra clothing, water and a first-aid kit. —

Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 The powerful bank lobby has a growing list of allies—including airlines and hotel chains—that will likely push to preserve the status quo. —

Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026 New fast-food chains appear every year. —

Bob Rommel, Sun Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026

Verb

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

And thus the two narrative sequences come together.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 6 Apr. 2026
True to form for Nintendo, though, Mario remains nonverbal in the game, despite its 20-plus hour length and dialogue-heavy sequences.

— Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2026