constrained 1 of 2

constrained

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verb

past tense of constrain

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 constrained
Adjective
The skills that defined the role, from customer understanding and feature prioritization to roadmap negotiation, were shaped by constrained capacity. Pallavi Mahajan, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Every year lost to delay is another year of constrained growth, postponed industrial investment, and missed economic opportunity that severely impacts current and future competitiveness. Andreas Schierenbeck, Fortune, 27 July 2026 Vessels need to be extraordinarily careful navigating such constrained channels. David Goldman, CNN Money, 15 June 2026 Dell’s higher 2027 revenue guidance was the result of greater demand for DRAM and NAND chips, combined with constrained supply, said Katherine Murphy at Goldman Sachs. Tobias Burns, CNBC, 1 June 2026
Verb
When that ability gets constrained, when communication feels censored, when speed is prized over rigor, when ambiguity gets exploited instead of clarified, the meaning of the work itself starts to erode. Arkansas Online, 9 Aug. 2026 But with refining capacity now constrained, even plentiful crude supplies cannot be quickly processed into gasoline and diesel. CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026 As the war with Iran rages on and transit through the Strait of Hormuz is constrained, energy prices remain high (though not quite as high as before). Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 7 Aug. 2026 Agents are neither polite nor impolite; they are unconstrained until constrained. Evan J. Schwartz, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Centrus expects its domestic enrichment expansion to target a global market where enriched uranium supply remains constrained. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026 Even if more crude becomes available, ExxonMobil and Chevron said gasoline and diesel prices will likely remain elevated because global refining capacity remains constrained, limiting relief for consumers. Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 2 Aug. 2026 As satisfying as the simulation is, the real-world challenge of space debris removal is both more constrained and more urgent. Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Aug. 2026 With global supplies constrained, prices for Brent crude, the international standard, soared from about $70 to above $100 a barrel for much of March, April and May, and at one point reached $126. Cathy Bussewitz, Fortune, 31 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constrained
Adjective
  • There’s a smooth clarity to most of these songs, which grants different textures and dimensions to even Lyseight’s most restrained beats.
    Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Promotional stills, tour visuals and social content have followed the same restrained palette of black, white and grey, with color largely absent from official imagery.
    Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • No law required it, no lawsuit compelled it, and the commission had not even reported.
    Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Anna is a complicated character dealing with a mysterious trauma that has compelled the career change to become a ranger.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Its infrared search and track data fed directly into an onboard AI agent that controlled the X-62A and guided it into tactical intercept positions.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Every woman, child, and man alive was out here grinding all day every day except on Lincoln’s Birthday in death-trap packing plants controlled by a five-man syndicate called the Beef Trust.
    Claire Carusillo, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Both players were so inhibited for the final game of the set that the level of play resembled something from a local park.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 27 May 2026
  • This really is a time to be less inhibited about going out.
    Joe Hernandez, NPR, 25 May 2026
Verb
  • While Homer followed warriors sailing home from Troy, the playwright Euripides — writing some three centuries later — turned to the city’s ruins and its women, forced into exile and enslavement.
    ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Just as Treasury is likely forced back toward longer-term bonds, the Fed under new Chair Kevin Warsh is moving to shrink its own balance sheet.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • But unlike organic, regenerative agriculture is only lightly regulated at the federal level in the US.
    Bloomberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Funeral home directors are regulated by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
    Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Nordic noir suggests the presence of violence and hatred beneath the tranquillity and order of the Scandinavian welfare state, just as Southern noir peels back hospitality and charm to reveal repressed family secrets and moral decay.
    Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • In fact, this is where our motivations become personal and perhaps even slightly irritating, especially if repressed emotions or sensitivities rise to the surface.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Advocates who filed the lawsuit are concerned that people with disabilities will be steered toward or coerced into using this option.
    Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Majorities of Americans are worried about election officials being coerced, lax ballot security, and voter intimidation leading up to the 2026 midterm elections, according to new polling from Gallup.
    Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 30 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Constrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constrained. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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