fettering

verb

present participle of fetter
1
as in binding
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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fettering
  1. binding
  2. impeding
  3. tying
  4. hampering
  5. confining
  6. hindering
  7. constraining
  8. obstructing
Verb
  • Knowing their days of bloodline privilege are numbered, the German and the French aristocrat bond, their class affinities binding them more tightly than the uniforms that separate them.
    — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026
  • Marcel Proust, Paul Bourget, and Guy de Maupassant, alongside royalty, diplomats, and politicians, are guests at the salon of their spell-binding mother, born Louise Morpurgo in Trieste.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
Definition of binding
Verb
  • The findings come as countries are determining how to put up guardrails around AI without impeding their ability to compete in the rapidly developing field.
    — Didi Tang, Fortune, 16 July 2026
  • These vehicles were blocking and impeding fire operations, and several were non-operational and required tow truck assistance for removal.
    — Jeff Nguyen, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of impeding
Verb
  • As an astute student of soul, Jasmine Rose Wilson has identified a common thread tying together all the different permutations of the music.
    — Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026
  • The French Open, Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, all of them are opportunities to win the Race to Dubai — and deny McIlroy a record-tying eighth title.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
Definition of tying
Verb
  • American regulators’ and politicians’ fear of Chinese tech is hampering business prospects for Chinese flying camera company HOVERAir, its CEO told Semafor.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 14 July 2026
  • Because the injection must then be sent (or pushed) to each specific target, the scale of the attack is limited, hampering mass exploits that hit the Internet at large.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026
Definition of hampering
Verb
  • Use a summer-friendly baby carrier The combination of your body heat and the carrier’s confining space can make an infant hot and bothered within a matter of minutes.
    — Nancy Mattia, Parents, 8 July 2026
  • Plants are also unbothered by confining pavement and other urban challenges.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 June 2026
Definition of confining
Verb
  • Still, they weren’t built for 2026, and playing in a minor-league park might be hindering their pitching development.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, most workers find themselves on the hook to fund more of their own retirement than their parents did and to pay more for their healthcare and insurance coverage, hindering their efforts to save for retirement.
    — Kirk McClure, Fortune, 14 July 2026
Definition of hindering
Verb
  • The Clippers can continue to build a younger and more robust roster without his contract constraining their spending power.
    — Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Tuesday's vote ended with 189 voting in favor and 235 voting in opposition of constraining the president's authority.
    — Alex Sundby, CBS News, 30 June 2026
Definition of constraining
Verb
  • Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sent autonomous driving companies a letter saying some cars have been driving through emergency scenes, ignoring flares and traffic cones and obstructing ambulances.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
  • Three other juveniles were arrested on various other charges, such as possessing a firearm, trespassing and obstructing an officer.
    — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2026
Definition of obstructing
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Fettering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fettering. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fettering

Nglish: Translation of fettering for Spanish Speakers

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