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
Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Leading systems can increasingly walk, climb, pick, lift, and navigate autonomously in constrained environments, though capability still varies significantly by task and setting.
—Dr. Jonathan Reichental, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
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
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
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Similarly, Hapag-Lloyd has warned of escalating costs as the Hormuz remains largely constrained for container shipping.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 15 May 2026
But building trust has historically been constrained by time.
—Dan Cavanaugh, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Meanwhile, supply is so constrained in some areas that big new facilities may need to wait seven years for a power hookup.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026
In New York, outdoor space carries value but is often seasonal and constrained by density.
—Zakkiyyah Terrell White, USA Today, 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
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
Adjective
It is being shaped by constrained supply, external shocks, and a new level of buyer urgency that is fundamentally altering decision-making.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Leading systems can increasingly walk, climb, pick, lift, and navigate autonomously in constrained environments, though capability still varies significantly by task and setting.
—Dr. Jonathan Reichental, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
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
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
Verb
They’re more often enabled by the company than constrained.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Similarly, Hapag-Lloyd has warned of escalating costs as the Hormuz remains largely constrained for container shipping.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 15 May 2026
But building trust has historically been constrained by time.
—Dan Cavanaugh, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Meanwhile, supply is so constrained in some areas that big new facilities may need to wait seven years for a power hookup.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026
In New York, outdoor space carries value but is often seasonal and constrained by density.
—Zakkiyyah Terrell White, USA Today, 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constrained
Adjective
-
Puerto Rican rum production emphasizes column distillation and filtration, yielding a cleaner, lighter, and more restrained profile than many heavier Caribbean styles.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
It was described by critics as psychologically uneasy and emotionally claustrophobic, with Keough serving as the restrained emotional center of the film.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The powerful monetary incentives provided to our politicians and their PACs have compelled legislative compliance to their global agenda.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
-
Toohey said Lyons was compelled to invent the hatchway because the old wooden ones weren’t durable enough, and were difficult to maintain.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Instead of everything being controlled through a single touch-screen, dedicated physical controls and circuits would allow easier servicing of individual components.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
-
Altman and Brockman say OpenAI is still controlled by a nonprofit foundation, despite having a for-profit arm with outside investors.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
11 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
-
In the end, Erik Heil and the Germans closed to within a boat length at the final turning mark, and Botin was forced to execute a high-pressure tack to stay ahead and claim second.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Under the map, Cleaver would be forced to campaign in a district that stretches east from Troost Avenue to the rural cities and towns spread across central Missouri.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
At the Yamada house, TV access was regulated and studying was emphasized, but free play was routine.—
Andre Mouchard,
Daily News,
9 May 2026
-
Airbnb, which is best known for its short-term home rentals, has begun offering rooms at boutique hotels in markets where short-term rentals are tightly regulated.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
There, migrant labor, economic need and repressed desire collide, especially through his uneasy bond with Arvydas, a Czech co-worker whose open homophobia masks darker tensions.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
11 May 2026
-
The gothic genre is well suited to repressed stories.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 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 17 May. 2026.
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