1
as in to compel
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
constrained by conscience to tell only the truth
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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to regulate
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
constrained his anger at the needless interruption
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of constrain
Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Trump’s efforts to constrain immigration during his first term played out in a similar fashion; by 2019, the unemployment rate had dropped to 3.5%, its lowest level since 1969, with earnings up 3.5% from 2018.
—Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 14 June 2025
Justin Worland, TIME, 26 Dec. 2024
These systems not only help to reduce the cost for the client and law firm, but also make legal services more accessible to those who might be resource constrained.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for constrain
Verb
Do parliamentary research tools enhance or constrain policy deliberation?
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Trump’s efforts to constrain immigration during his first term played out in a similar fashion; by 2019, the unemployment rate had dropped to 3.5%, its lowest level since 1969, with earnings up 3.5% from 2018.
—Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 14 June 2025
Verb
As the problem grows worse, leaders constrained by political considerations keep eking out piecemeal solutions.
—Justin Worland, TIME, 26 Dec. 2024
These systems not only help to reduce the cost for the client and law firm, but also make legal services more accessible to those who might be resource constrained.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for constrain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constrain
Adjective
-
Lemon The little black dress of garnishes, at once flirty and restrained.—
Amiel Stanek,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
16 June 2025
-
With two monochrome takes on intricate guilloché work the new dial designs come across as more restrained, even with baguette-cut indices.—
Thor Svaboe,
Robb Report,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
Venus in Taurus is cruising through your mysterious 12th house of beauty sleep, unconscious patterns and repressed energies, bringing hidden desires to the surface.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
5 June 2025
-
As in Freud, the footnote operates as repressed content, surfacing the crawly world around us (and sometimes inside us) that makes our own go.—
Hannah Brooks-Motl
June 2,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
Without a disciplined strategy, even the most innovative technology gets lost in the noise.—
Emil Sayegh,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
-
While an aggressive trader might act on this fast MACD crossover alone, a more conservative and disciplined approach is to wait for RSI to confirm the signal by crossing back above the 30 level.—
Nishant Pant,
CNBC,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
Still, the rotation has stayed orderly, and doesn't appear too destabilizing at this point, as seen here.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
14 June 2025
-
Her office in the neo-baroque Christiansborg Palace overlooks a picturesque capital city as orderly as any in Europe.—
Matthew Tostevin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Constrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constrain. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.
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