1
as in restrictions
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obstacles
something that makes movement or progress difficult
claims that government regulations are unnecessary fetters that keep him from achieving his business goals
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3
as in handcuffs
something that physically prevents free movement
considered a seat belt a pointless fetter—until one saved his life in an auto accident
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1
as in binds
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 hinders
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
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Recent Examples of fetters
Jeremy Mennis,
The Conversation,
1 May 2026
The short life of Alexander Hamilton both feeds and fetters Vaill’s project.
—
Jane Kamensky,
The Atlantic,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony.
—
Jeremy Mennis,
The Conversation,
1 May 2026
The short life of Alexander Hamilton both feeds and fetters Vaill’s project.
—
Jane Kamensky,
The Atlantic,
10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fetters
Noun
-
The legislation would grant the NCAA a limited antitrust exemption, allowing the governing body to enforce restrictions on athlete compensation.
-
The moves forced Chinese companies to innovate around the restrictions.
Noun
-
There was an element of cynicism, but not on the part of determined prosecutors who overcame obstacles and brought the case to guilty pleas by three defendants and the conviction on 21 counts of the public official who ignited the scandal.
-
But obstacles veered her away from art for years.
Noun
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Once outside, paramedics determined that Martin had stopped breathing, removed his handcuffs and began CPR.
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The suspect was then placed in handcuffs and taken into custody.
Verb
-
Phytic acid binds directly to HDAC3 and turns on its activity.
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There's so much that binds us and connects us.
Verb
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This is due, in large part, to expectations of a strong El Niño, which traditionally hinders storm development.
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Our systems are overly complex, spanning hundreds of dependencies, which hinders our ability to move fast.
Noun
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The fundraising comes as analysts remain bullish on the outlook for AI memory chips, arguing that supply constraints in high-bandwidth memory are likely to persist for years as hyperscalers continue ramping up AI infrastructure spending.
-
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington are included in the states opting out, with the majority citing budget constraints in their reasoning.
Noun
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Working with researchers at the Freie Universität Berlin, the University of Edinburgh, and Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, IQM has developed a new family of error correction called directional tile codes, addressing major hurdles in quantum error correction.
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The bill targets the cost of construction, regulatory red tape, zoning restrictions, and banking hurdles.
Noun
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But in the past few years, his shop Freak House, located near Downtown Dadeland in Kendall, became the go-to spot for fashion-forward goths looking for platform boots, silver chains, dragon figurines and an array of funky fashion.
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In a city already destabilized by unlawful tax foreclosure, fraudsters found opportunity in homes burdened by vacancy and broken chains of ownership.
Cite this Entry
“Fetters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fetters. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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