1
as in compels
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 regulates
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 constrains
The Cultural Dimension Culture amplifies or constrains collaboration.
—
Thomas Lim, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
The law also constrains practices that had allowed towing companies to start the sales process for some vehicles after 15 days.
—Dave Altimari, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2025
What is at stake is not just trade policy but the very principle that law constrains power.
—Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Beijing’s close partnership with Pakistan — extending beyond economic corridors into military equipment and intelligence cooperation — further constrains how far ties can develop.
—Spriha Srivastava, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2025
But digital illiteracy still constrains African banks’ ability to serve their customers, according to nearly 8 in 10 respondents, made up of 203 senior banking executives from 40 African countries.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2025
But Indonesian public opinion, too, now constrains Indonesian presidents.
—Ben Bland, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2024
Thomas Lim, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
The law also constrains practices that had allowed towing companies to start the sales process for some vehicles after 15 days.
—Dave Altimari, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2025
What is at stake is not just trade policy but the very principle that law constrains power.
—Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Beijing’s close partnership with Pakistan — extending beyond economic corridors into military equipment and intelligence cooperation — further constrains how far ties can develop.
—Spriha Srivastava, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2025
But digital illiteracy still constrains African banks’ ability to serve their customers, according to nearly 8 in 10 respondents, made up of 203 senior banking executives from 40 African countries.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2025
But Indonesian public opinion, too, now constrains Indonesian presidents.
—Ben Bland, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constrains
Verb
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Yet these productions are increasingly designed around an ethos of visual-over-depth that compels us to immediately document and post each scene.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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One way lawsuits can generate this pressure is through the discovery process, which compels companies to turn over internal documents, and could shed insight into what executives knew about safety risks or marketing harms.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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By using pollen to reflect more of the energy, the camellia microgel regulates skin temperature, keeping it about 9 degrees Fahrenheit cooler for around 20 minutes.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
4 Sep. 2025
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Schultz, a medical doctor, has helped run the agency that regulates the county’s emergency medical care system for about six years.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Daniels steps up, but Wyatt is right there and forces Daniels to cut back right into Sorrell and Brooks, who split the sack for a loss of 2 yards.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
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Employers counter that the cost of providing what unions want adversely affects their competitiveness in other states and nations and forces them to raise prices, reduce employment or even leave California to remain solvent.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The First 70 Years contains impeccable research and analysis, accompanied by fascinating photos of the sets, film crews, and casts.—
Michael Taube,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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The system contains unverified reports of side effects, including from patients, doctors and pharmacists.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Compulsory heterosexuality is a theoretical framework coined by lesbian scholar Adrienne Rich in 1980 to describe how heterosexuality as an institution compels and coerces female sexuality for patriarchal purposes.—
Quispe López,
Them.,
27 Aug. 2025
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The pic centers on Ali (Ekin Koç), a university professor who is haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother and coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance.—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Uniquely, Google controls both its hardware and software, unlike all other Android OEMs including Samsung, the largest of them all.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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History is also on their side because the party that controls the White House has nearly always lost House seats in the midterm elections going back to 1938.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The pilot obliges — and then the co-pilot flips off the autopilot function.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
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Lest one forget regulatory tailwinds; the European Union Nature Restoration Law obliges EU member states to rehabilitate 20 percent of degraded ecosystems by 2030.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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An 1878 law known as the Posse Comitatus Act generally restrains the use of the military for such purposes.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
17 Aug. 2025
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In the footage, a Border Patrol agent is shown holding one man with his forearm across a man’s neck – and later, an FHP officer restrains the man who is tased, grabbing him around the neck area while the man is doubled down.—
Syra Ortiz-Blanes,
Miami Herald,
9 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Constrains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constrains. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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