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fettered 1 of 2

adjective

as in bound

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fettered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of fetter
1
as in tied
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains museum artifacts that serve as somber reminders of the days when slaves were fettered with irons

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hampered
to create difficulty for the work or activity of the belief that too many rules and restrictions fetter children's creativity

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 fettered
Verb
Perhaps capitalism can be appropriately fettered within the confines of a select few cities, inspiring a nonviolent, nationwide socialist revolution. — Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026 While some players were able to weather that storm – defenseman Joel Edmundson played all 82 games for the first time in a career often fettered by injuries – others paid a price. — Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fettered
  1. bound
  2. tied
  3. hampered
  4. captive
  5. impeded
  6. enslaved
  7. hindered
  8. subdued
Adjective
  • The team checked this directly by computing how much of each galaxy's baryon budget actually stayed bound to the system.
    — Paul Sutter, Space.com, 9 June 2026
  • To help calculate a lower bound, Erdős assumed that the points would be laid out in a grid.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 June 2026
Definition of bound
Verb
  • The game was tied with two outs in the third when Arenado's 22nd home run of the season put the Diamondbacks on top 3-1.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The Royals quickly tied the game in the bottom of the first inning.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of tied
Verb
  • The favorite was Lamar Jackson, who was later hampered by injuries and finished with a career-low rushing output.
    — Hannah Vanbiber, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Poor air quality and limited visibility have also hampered firefighting efforts, carried out with equipment from Japan that arrived on Thursday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of hampered
Adjective
  • The fathers of classmates had vanished — farmers held captive until their family could pay ransom.
    — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Two employees of a Korean company in Haiti who spent weeks captive after being kidnapped by an armed gang in Port-au-Prince have been safely released, according to a statement from South Korea’s Foreign Ministry shared with the Miami Herald.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of captive
Verb
  • There was a clear opposition to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) implemented by the European Union, alongside other unilateral measures that members believe have impeded trade.
    — Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The Bab el-Mandeb’s importance to global oil supplies has grown since shipping through the nearby Strait of Hormuz has been impeded by Iran during its war with the United States and Israel.
    — Ahmed al-Haj, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of impeded
Adjective
  • The construction of the statue, completed in 1852, involved an enslaved apprentice.
    — Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Of the 10 children Edy and her husband, Joseph Fossett, an enslaved blacksmith, had together, three were born in the White House.
    — Sophie Clausen, PEOPLE, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of enslaved
Verb
  • Ben Simmons, a former All-Star whose career has been hindered by injuries and mental health issues, is returning to the NBA as a member of the Sacramento Kings.
    — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The new decree also implements other significant changes that had already been announced, including allowing the creation of private farming businesses, a restriction that has hindered food production on the island.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of hindered
Adjective
  • Winfrey has a more subdued take on footwear, her choices consisting of neutral tones with the occasional leopard or snakeskin.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Now, in the midst of a subdued market, investors are being more selective, and the new playbook for funding fashion has a lot to do with the quality of that growth, the depth of connection with customers and the founder’s individual appeal.
    — Tara Donaldson, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of subdued

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Cite this Entry

“Fettered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fettered. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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