as in restrained
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1
as in compelled
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
constrained by conscience to tell only the truth
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in controlled
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
constrained his anger at the needless interruption
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of constrained
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 May 2026
While memory makers are scrambling to expand production, Yu also noted that new semiconductor capacity typically takes two to three years to come online, meaning supply is likely to remain constrained in the near term.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 6 May 2026
The airport's air traffic controllers have also been facing challenges of constrained gate capacity and taxiway closures from long-term construction projects.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
When temperatures drop, gas demand climbs, and constrained pipelines that supply the region reach capacity, pushing up electric prices.
—Alex Kuffner, The Providence Journal, 10 Apr. 2026
In other words, giving reasonable levers for constrained districts and kids who have a clear career pathway that doesn’t require language study.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
The airline’s efforts to revive services have been held back by the closure of Qatar’s airspace, alongside the company’s heavier dependence on long-haul corridors that remain constrained.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 25 Mar. 2026
But his brain-imaging studies suggest that, during a psychedelic trip, communication between different regions of the brain becomes far less constrained than during normal consciousness, allowing new ways of thinking to emerge.
—Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Both fables and translations are forms of constrained writing.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Zakkiyyah Terrell White, USA Today, 8 May 2026
If the United States is serious about energy dominance, American energy should be able to move freely to American consumers — not be constrained by outdated shipping restrictions.
—Katelyn Bledsoe, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026
Traditional flow batteries use metals like vanadium, which are expensive and supply-constrained.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 6 May 2026
If access to education becomes more constrained at the same time, talent is more mobile than ever; the state risks losing both students and long-term economic contributors.
—Lola W. Brabham, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
But they will no longer be constrained by how much critical knowledge can fit inside a few people’s heads.
—Theo Saville, Fortune, 6 May 2026
The height-limit waiver is also appropriate because the project, constrained by the requirements in the city’s initial notice of availability for the site, would otherwise be impossible.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2026
However, Lee expects AMD is constrained in its ability to meet the strong demand, unlike competitors such as Intel that have capacity to ramp up production.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 4 May 2026
Today, roughly half of the global ethylene and polyethylene supply is stranded, constrained, or directly affected by the halt to commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial transit point for 20% of the world’s crude.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Adjective
Reports suggest that these demonstrations highlight the sophistication of Atlas’s whole-body control system, pointing toward practical applications where robots must operate in complex, constrained environments.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 May 2026
While memory makers are scrambling to expand production, Yu also noted that new semiconductor capacity typically takes two to three years to come online, meaning supply is likely to remain constrained in the near term.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 6 May 2026
The airport's air traffic controllers have also been facing challenges of constrained gate capacity and taxiway closures from long-term construction projects.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
When temperatures drop, gas demand climbs, and constrained pipelines that supply the region reach capacity, pushing up electric prices.
—Alex Kuffner, The Providence Journal, 10 Apr. 2026
In other words, giving reasonable levers for constrained districts and kids who have a clear career pathway that doesn’t require language study.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
The airline’s efforts to revive services have been held back by the closure of Qatar’s airspace, alongside the company’s heavier dependence on long-haul corridors that remain constrained.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 25 Mar. 2026
But his brain-imaging studies suggest that, during a psychedelic trip, communication between different regions of the brain becomes far less constrained than during normal consciousness, allowing new ways of thinking to emerge.
—Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Both fables and translations are forms of constrained writing.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
In New York, outdoor space carries value but is often seasonal and constrained by density.
—Zakkiyyah Terrell White, USA Today, 8 May 2026
If the United States is serious about energy dominance, American energy should be able to move freely to American consumers — not be constrained by outdated shipping restrictions.
—Katelyn Bledsoe, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026
Traditional flow batteries use metals like vanadium, which are expensive and supply-constrained.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 6 May 2026
If access to education becomes more constrained at the same time, talent is more mobile than ever; the state risks losing both students and long-term economic contributors.
—Lola W. Brabham, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
But they will no longer be constrained by how much critical knowledge can fit inside a few people’s heads.
—Theo Saville, Fortune, 6 May 2026
The height-limit waiver is also appropriate because the project, constrained by the requirements in the city’s initial notice of availability for the site, would otherwise be impossible.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2026
However, Lee expects AMD is constrained in its ability to meet the strong demand, unlike competitors such as Intel that have capacity to ramp up production.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 4 May 2026
Today, roughly half of the global ethylene and polyethylene supply is stranded, constrained, or directly affected by the halt to commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial transit point for 20% of the world’s crude.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constrained
Adjective
-
Once there, prosecutors said the second victim was also forced into the back of the truck and restrained.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
The novel opens with the news of William Stoner’s death, delivered in the restrained, factual tone of an obituary.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Starmer is not compelled to call another general election until 2029, when his term expires.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
7 May 2026
-
Alito, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, felt compelled to respond in remarkable terms.—
Ella Lee,
The Hill,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
What could’ve turned into a game of foul trouble and interruptions instead turned into a game Brunson controlled anyway.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
-
Traditionally, the tech sector has been controlled by a few very large firms that generate big margins.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
School is the crucible where raw vitality encounters the collective will to impose order and control but also to bring cultural richness to lives that might otherwise remain inhibited and crude.—
Tim Parks,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Her last and only boyfriend, Tim, would have been too inhibited.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Though embedded in society, these young characters are Kaspar Hauser-like figures, spectrally isolated from the signifying world, forced to construct meaning for themselves, from the ground up.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Liz Leone, who has 52 apartments in Las Vegas and is part of the lawsuit, said the moratorium almost forced her out of business.—
Michael Casey,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Another bill that the legislature got wrong was S1418a which would have regulated Kratom use.—
Mark Dee
May 3,
Idaho Statesman,
3 May 2026
-
Online sportsbooks, like FanDuel or DraftKings, are regulated by states, most of which require users to be 21 years old to gamble.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
The film explores a teenager’s struggles in 1998 alongside his mother’s repressed trauma from the 1948 Jeju April 3 Uprising.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Fuqua’s focus is on the music, with songwriting, video production and choreography scenes, and full-length live performances tackled with staggering precision by Jaafar Jackson, who also sensitively delivers Michael’s repressed anguish in confrontational scenes with his father.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Without that market competition, the plaintiffs argued, gamers were coerced into paying higher prices, effectively allowing Sony to monopolize the sale of its digital PlayStation games.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
-
At the same time, they were aggressively promoted — and sometimes coerced — among socially and economically disadvantaged people, often in the name of preventing poverty.—
Sonya Borrero,
STAT,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Constrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constrained. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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