fetter 1 of 2

1
as in restriction
something that limits one's freedom of action or choice a time-honored tradition is fine as long as it doesn't become a fetter that prevents us from trying something new

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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fetter

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb fetter contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of fetter are clog, hamper, manacle, shackle, and trammel. While all these words mean "to hinder or impede in moving, progressing, or acting," fetter suggests a restraining so severe that freedom to move or progress is almost lost.

a nation fettered by an antiquated class system

When might clog be a better fit than fetter?

While in some cases nearly identical to fetter, clog usually implies a slowing by something extraneous or encumbering.

a court system clogged by frivolous suits

Where would hamper be a reasonable alternative to fetter?

The words hamper and fetter can be used in similar contexts, but hamper may imply the effect of any impeding or restraining influence.

hampered the investigation by refusing to cooperate

How does the word shackle relate to other synonyms for fetter?

Both shackle and manacle are stronger than fetter and suggest total loss of freedom.

a mind shackled by stubborn prejudice
a people manacled by tyranny

When can trammel be used instead of fetter?

The words trammel and fetter are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, trammel suggests entangling by or confining within a net.

rules that trammel the artist's creativity

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fetter
Noun
Like all great period romances, Maurice places aching desire at the forefront, with the men's palpable yearning made all the more soul-shattering by the fetters of their time. Lia Beck, EW.com, 25 June 2025 But Trump famously wriggles free from such fetters and resists being hemmed in. Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024 One man even contrived somehow to get across while still in iron fetters. Adam Goodheart, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2023 Its stage is where King Kong broke his fetters in the 1933 movie. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2023 This early recording is unique—brisk and pugnacious, a stormy, bitter Schubert raging against his earthly fetters and then distilling his passions, in the last movement, into headlong lunges, dazzling whirls, and delicate pirouettes. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2020 And then there’s the New Deal, another famous attempt to slap fetters on the rough beast of capitalism. Jonah Goldberg, National Review, 22 Nov. 2019
Verb
This comes in the wake of millions of apps being dumped from Play Store for not being good enough and an expansion of Google’s Play Integrity API to fetter app behaviors on phones no longer eligible for security updates — Android 12 or older. Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025 It’s become a common refrain by the government that the president’s executive power cannot be fettered by the courts. Ella Lee, The Hill, 19 Mar. 2025 Our vote, secret and simple, not fettered by any AI or the eyes of an authoritarian who threatens those who disagree with him, ensures that our union endures. John D. Witiak, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2024 Ruskin felt insulted and legally fettered by the verdict. Adrian Dannatt, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2023 Certain wandered between rows of mannequins fettered with leg irons, claustrophobic dungeon cells and a towering guillotine. Jeremy Redmon, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2023 After the beating, he was fettered in iron chains around his ankles, which would rub his skin raw. Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 12 Sep. 2023 Teddy Roosevelt broke up the trusts, regulated the food supply, created the National Park System, and fettered the railroads. Jonah Goldberg, National Review, 22 Nov. 2019 Botany was also often fettered to expertise in gardening, another activity that fell within the realm of the feminine. Amandas Ong, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fetter
Noun
  • Both Poland and Latvia announced new restrictions on Thursday.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Once magnets for buyers seeking sunshine – and often looser Covid restrictions – demand has started to cool off in these states.
    CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • This means that fuel cells can, theoretically, operate without the infrastructure problems of electric or hydrogen vehicles, but the real obstacle is achieving sheer power in a light, compact engine that is compliant with existing regulations.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Sep. 2025
  • This enables the robot to figure out its precise navigation and obstacle avoidance coordinates, with an accuracy down to 2 centimeters.
    Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • With masses equivalent to millions or even billions of suns, supermassive black holes are too massive to have been born from dying stars; instead, it is theorized that they are created when smaller black holes collide and merge, and a chain of progressively larger and larger mergers.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The investment group also includes the Cherng Family Trust, the family office of the co-founders of the Panda Express restaurant chain, according to Friday’s statement.
    Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The lingering effects of an incident so vile occurring within Burning man’s sweet bubble are bound to affect people for a long time.
    Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
  • With no binding regulatory framework in place, taxpayers must continue to rely on case law, examining a series of factors applied by the courts to determine whether an instrument is debt or equity.
    Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari was issued a red card in the 38th minute for impeding Charlotte’s Wilfried Zaha in the box.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The university has also cracked down on chalking on campus sidewalks, which critics say impedes the free speech rights of students.
    Chris Quintana, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The network denied the claims but admitted it was edited due to time constraints.
    Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The credit rating agency put the rise down to policy weaknesses, market constraints, and inflation, Reuters noted.
    Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • For a franchise placing its future on the development of young players, the timing of the injuries is a hurdle.
    Grant Afseth, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
  • As a result, same-sex couples continue to face other challenges in other aspects of daily life, from visiting their partner at hospitals to raising children, hurdles that families in many other global financial capitals that look to attract top talent no longer face.
    Chris Lau, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Over five shutout innings in his major league debut, the 23-year-old left-hander fanned 11 of their batters, tying the Red Sox record for strikeouts by a debuting pitcher, set by Don Aase on July 26, 1977.
    Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
  • These options are often less expensive, faster, and more closely tied to job outcomes than a four-year degree.
    Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fetter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fetter. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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