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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fetters
Noun
-
The new truck routes and restrictions are the result of study, coordination and collaboration between city officials, local residents, area small business owners and trucking companies, city officials said.—
Keith Matheny,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025 -
The program includes 20,000 scholarships, with the first 10,000 earmarked for families who meet income restrictions.—
Rachel Wegner,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There are obstacles to the creation of a drone wall, namely its financing, management — given its cross-border nature and the diversity of airspace security laws — as well as issues to do with technical integration, according to Miriam McNabb, editor in chief of the online Dronelife publication.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Farley called out declining investment in skilled trades, poor productivity, and bureaucratic hurdles as key obstacles facing the essential economy.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
According to the complaint, agents alleged the ID was fake and held him in handcuffs for more than an hour.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Adair, still in handcuffs, is then picked up from the wheelchair by several deputies and placed on his stomach on the bottom bunk in his cell, the KBI said.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
There’s an instinctual stitching that binds its many scenes together that build to a heartwrenching ending, culminating in neither a whimper nor a bang but a welcome sigh of relief.—
Manuel Betancourt,
Variety,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Each atom binds separate electrons, whose exchange interaction mediates the nuclear two-qubit gate.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That kind of overload hinders change and makes future efforts more challenging.—
Daniel Schmeltz,
Fortune,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Nevertheless, the lack of efficient electrolytes with fast hydride ion conductivity, thermal stability, and electrode compatibility hinders their practical applications.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
According to the report, many developers face obstacles such as rising construction costs, financing constraints, labor shortages, and regulatory complexity.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Forcing athletes to find new affordances within various constraints makes perception-action coupling more efficient.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Ren also noted practical hurdles.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
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Roughly one third of owners cite lack of technical expertise or staff training as their biggest hurdles.—
Adam Mills,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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If the defense plays high coverage to take the deep ball away, the Buckeyes can throw it short and move the chains.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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While several supermarket chains and independent stores sell Scott & Jon’s pasta and seafood dishes, as of Sunday morning, Publix and Walmart were the major chains that announced on their websites they were hit by this recall.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fetters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fetters. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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