1
as in forcing
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
constrained by conscience to tell only the truth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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
In the past, the Federal Aviation Administration had long been the agency putting a ceiling on the height of many Miami-Dade towers, constraining developments in Sunny Isles Beach to 649 feet to facilitate airplanes landing at Miami-Opa-Locka Executive Airport.
—Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 1 Dec. 2025
The perception of what the larger American public would eat was a constraining factor.
—JSTOR Daily, 26 Nov. 2025
Majumdar’s characters’ choices would carry greater weight if the conditions constraining them were rendered with equal depth.
—Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 8 Nov. 2025
The first practice is constraining memory to the task at hand.
—Keivan Navaie, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Oct. 2025
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
In the past, the Federal Aviation Administration had long been the agency putting a ceiling on the height of many Miami-Dade towers, constraining developments in Sunny Isles Beach to 649 feet to facilitate airplanes landing at Miami-Opa-Locka Executive Airport.
—Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 1 Dec. 2025
The perception of what the larger American public would eat was a constraining factor.
—JSTOR Daily, 26 Nov. 2025
Majumdar’s characters’ choices would carry greater weight if the conditions constraining them were rendered with equal depth.
—Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 8 Nov. 2025
The first practice is constraining memory to the task at hand.
—Keivan Navaie, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constraining
Verb
-
In 1969, the Shah of Iran commissioned Leleu to make 51 tents for a sprawling installation commemorating the 2,500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire—after three years, however, the bill was never paid, forcing the company to shut down.—
Stephanie Sporn,
Vogue,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In 1979, a severe storm caused the roof of Kemper Arena to collapse, forcing the Kings to play at Municipal Auditorium, a much smaller venue that seated about 10,000 fans.—
Alexa Stone,
Kansas City Star,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The website says that some states have laws that prohibit driving with snow on your car, or have laws regulating it.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The result is a denim that retains the sustainability benefits and high moisture regulating properties of Tencel but with a more authentic cotton-like appearance.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The decision typically comes down to whether the government is coercing the public and specifics about who's involved and the intent.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Investigators accuse him of coercing middle school football players to perform nude exercises in a locker room and secretly photographing them in various stages of undress.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Your husband appears to be more than a little controlling by attempting to tell you how to spend your free time.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Investors in this study include everything from giant companies controlling thousands of houses to folks with a small collection of rentals to short-term rental operators to people with a second home.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In season four, Mike’s (Renner) control over Kingstown is threatened as new players compete to fill the power vacuum left in the Russians’ wake, compelling him to confront the resulting gang war and stop them from swallowing the town.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Jan. 2026
-
In Season 4 of Mayor of Kingstown, Mike’s (Renner) control over Kingstown is threatened as new players compete to fill the power vacuum left in the Russians’ wake, compelling him to confront the resulting gang war and stop them from swallowing the town.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If the government decided to collect an extra $14,600 from households, that would simply pay the interest expense on the debt, and hence slow its upward trajectory by curbing one of the largest contributors to the deficits.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
21 Jan. 2026
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Still, banking insiders told CNBC that adhering to a 10% interest rate cap would result in issuers curbing access for consumers with poor credit.—
Kevin Breuninger,Spencer Kimball,Alex Harring,
CNBC,
21 Jan. 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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In May 2004, police recovered three suitcases containing various body parts of a White male, per The Star-Ledger.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
22 Jan. 2026
-
On Sunday, a bag containing the items was found at the school.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Constraining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constraining. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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