1
as in forcing
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
constrained by conscience to tell only the truth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in regulating
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
constrained his anger at the needless interruption
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of constraining
Workforce shortages are constraining growth in our region.
—
Jeffrey Ball, Oc Register, 2 Mar. 2026
The Baltimore region has suffered too long from underinvestment in transit services — which is shackling economic growth, harming the environment and constraining quality of life for families.
—Brandon Scott, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2026
For example, by constraining itself from releasing new models, Anthropic’s original RSP also incentivized it to quickly build safety mitigations.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Even in the most sophisticated organizations, however, fear is quietly constraining it.
—Carolyn Dewar, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
Florida laws are constraining the choice of residents to install their own solar generation and storage capabilities.
—Bob Norberg, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2026
Electricity, which was abundant enough to be taken for granted, now looks like the bottleneck constraining everything from data centers to manufacturing.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 30 Dec. 2025
The AfD’s views on defense spending are deeply rooted in a nationalistic conception of German military power outside of constraining institutions such as the EU and NATO.
—Sudha David-Wilp, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2025
Equally constraining are government regulations and union philosophies that lock scopes of practice into place.
—Lawrence Rosenberg, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Jeffrey Ball, Oc Register, 2 Mar. 2026
The Baltimore region has suffered too long from underinvestment in transit services — which is shackling economic growth, harming the environment and constraining quality of life for families.
—Brandon Scott, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2026
For example, by constraining itself from releasing new models, Anthropic’s original RSP also incentivized it to quickly build safety mitigations.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Even in the most sophisticated organizations, however, fear is quietly constraining it.
—Carolyn Dewar, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
Florida laws are constraining the choice of residents to install their own solar generation and storage capabilities.
—Bob Norberg, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2026
Electricity, which was abundant enough to be taken for granted, now looks like the bottleneck constraining everything from data centers to manufacturing.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 30 Dec. 2025
The AfD’s views on defense spending are deeply rooted in a nationalistic conception of German military power outside of constraining institutions such as the EU and NATO.
—Sudha David-Wilp, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2025
Equally constraining are government regulations and union philosophies that lock scopes of practice into place.
—Lawrence Rosenberg, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constraining
Verb
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However, if disruptions last significantly longer, storage facilities in Gulf countries could quickly reach capacity, forcing broader production cuts and adding further upward pressure on oil prices.—
,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
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Cutting off the flow of Iranian oil is forcing its customers to go elsewhere, driving up global prices.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Unlike existing drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound, which target one or two appetite-regulating hormones, retatrutide mimics three.—
Abby Norman,
Verywell Health,
3 Mar. 2026
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Legal precedents At Monday’s meeting, Abarca repeatedly compared the ordinance to the legislature’s 2020 actions regulating mask-wearing in public during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Meyers is also accused of coercing the 15-year-old into recording the high school’s wrestling team, the complaint alleges.—
Brittany Kubicko,
NBC news,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Guevara and two colleagues, Mason and then-Detective Ernest Halvorson, orchestrated a frame-up by coercing one witness to identify Rios by beating him with a phone book and flashlight, and another by threatening to charge him with obstruction, according to the plaintiffs’ allegations.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Those areas, Close explained, include taking care of the ball, being efficient with passes and dribbles, having a passion and urgency to make hustle plays, and controlling the glass.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Protect your home by removing decaying wood, controlling moisture, and cleaning gutters and overgrowth.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Justice Department initially said that its release, made in response to a law passed by Congress compelling the agency to disclose nearly all files related to Epstein, comprised more than 3 million pages.—
Elliott Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
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City staff, however, expressed concerns about the request, compelling the recycling plant to instead propose a new shear in the same location as the current one and reducing the new shear's size.—
Jessie Christopher Smith,
Oklahoman,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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State lawmakers recently introduced measures aimed at curbing the ease and frequency of which investors can buy California homes, including one measure that would limit tax loopholes that large corporations and investment firms often use to buy single-family homes.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
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With Americans facing a housing affordability crunch, lawmakers from both parties are advancing rival bills aimed at curbing institutional investors' purchases of single-family homes.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The unions argue that carrying out permanent layoffs during a funding lapse violates the Antideficiency Act, which bars agencies from obligating funds without congressional authorization, and exceeds executive authority under the Administrative Procedure Act.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
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This document, signed by a sponsor, is a legally enforceable contract obligating the sponsor to support the immigrant and prevent them from relying on public aid.—
Daniel Shoer Roth,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Its floor is nearly entirely covered in dark, mineral-rich rock — known as mafic material — containing magnesium, iron and minerals such as pyroxine and olivine.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
6 Mar. 2026
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Court documents show Farah conducted surveillance on the juror and their home, sent a map of where the juror parked and drove a co-defendant to deliver a gift bag containing $120,000 in cash.—
Beret Leone,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Constraining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constraining. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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