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

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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
  • Rogers Centre is tied for the 10th-highest park factor for home runs (111) since 2025.
    — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Technology has significantly evolved since then, with 80% of 911 calls nationwide coming from wireless mobile devices rather than landlines tied to specific addresses.
    — Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of tied
Verb
  • Authorities immediately launched a rescue operation involving firefighters, police, the National Disaster Response Force and civic officials but efforts were hampered by narrow access lanes that prevented the use of heavy machinery, officials said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Recovery efforts for the spacecraft, known as Ship 40, have been hampered by challenging conditions and rough seas.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of hampered
Adjective
  • But man, the first like 20 minutes of this movie are rough going… although, probably not as rough going as poor Sam’s attempt to break into Cirith Ungol, where Frodo has been taken captive when our tale within a tale begins.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Wild Inside presents interviews with owl researchers that highlight the birds’ intelligence and heightened senses, voicing their questions about what sufficient captive care would even look like.
    — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of captive
Verb
  • The pickle brine impeded the wine’s crisp finish, too, leaving me with a flat-feeling, dense-tasting glass.
    — Elliott Harrell, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Folks who are hundreds of miles away from the forest are impeded by wildfire smoke.
    — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 29 July 2026
Definition of impeded
Adjective
  • Historian Jennifer Morgan similarly contends that enslaved women’s reproductive capacities were essential for the economic logic of hereditary racial slavery.
    — Kari Traylor, JSTOR Daily, 29 July 2026
  • While standing at the case, visitors can hear the audio of the speech where Douglass criticizes Americans celebrating freedom while millions remain enslaved.
    — Kaitlyn Harvey, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of enslaved
Verb
  • But Oleh’s transition did more or less coincide with the Russian invasion, which has severely hindered his ability to live freely and openly at a time when men are expected to serve their country in the armed forces.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Yet, his need to send the company out in grand fashion is hindered by stuffing his own script like a duck due to become foie gras.
    — Charles Lewis III, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of hindered
Adjective
  • However, daylight will feel very subdued with a noticeable dimming.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The second slide shows daughter Taylor, 15, and son Brayden, 10, smiling in front of a subdued sunset.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 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 14 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of fettered for Spanish Speakers

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