as in bind
something that physically prevents free movement
the man reluctantly held out his wrists so the policeman could snap on handcuffs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in binds
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains
wanted to take the trip, but was handcuffed by her responsibility to watch her ailing father
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hampers
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
the fear that the new mandatory, standardized tests will handcuff the state's teachers, who will have to specifically tailor their lesson plans for the test
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of handcuffs
Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The footage from the Martin County Sheriff's Office shows the legendary golfer undergoing a field sobriety test, being placed into handcuffs and then driven from the scene in the back of the patrol vehicle following Friday's crash.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Police pulled him over and found incriminating items in his vehicle including rope, handcuffs and a ski mask.
—Hannah Schoenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Bundy was arrested for the first time in August 1975, when police pulled him over and found incriminating items in his vehicle, including rope, handcuffs and a ski mask.
—CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
The detective took me by the hand and placed handcuffs on my wrists once again.
—Jeremy O. Harris, Vanity Fair, 1 Apr. 2026
Officers approached the suspect and placed him in handcuffs.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
That expanded reach sometimes ends in handcuffs.
—Stephen Johnson, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Smovzh in handcuffs, flanked by masked officers – was published on the US Border Patrol’s official Instagram account.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Placing the franchise tag on tight end Kyle Pitts severely handcuffs what the Falcons can do this offseason.
—Omar Kelly
march 8, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
While state law seemingly handcuffs local officials into approving solar projects, Richmond said residents and board members need to work together to fight solar power plants.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
At the crash site, some of the rescuers find Morrow, who holds them at gunpoint and handcuffs them together in the lab.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
The man eventually dropped the knife and was placed in handcuffs, according to the police report.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The footage from the Martin County Sheriff's Office shows the legendary golfer undergoing a field sobriety test, being placed into handcuffs and then driven from the scene in the back of the patrol vehicle following Friday's crash.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Police pulled him over and found incriminating items in his vehicle including rope, handcuffs and a ski mask.
—Hannah Schoenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Bundy was arrested for the first time in August 1975, when police pulled him over and found incriminating items in his vehicle, including rope, handcuffs and a ski mask.
—CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
The detective took me by the hand and placed handcuffs on my wrists once again.
—Jeremy O. Harris, Vanity Fair, 1 Apr. 2026
Officers approached the suspect and placed him in handcuffs.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
That expanded reach sometimes ends in handcuffs.
—Stephen Johnson, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Smovzh in handcuffs, flanked by masked officers – was published on the US Border Patrol’s official Instagram account.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
The officer again tells Timberlake to turn around and handcuffs him.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Placing the franchise tag on tight end Kyle Pitts severely handcuffs what the Falcons can do this offseason.
—Omar Kelly
march 8, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
While state law seemingly handcuffs local officials into approving solar projects, Richmond said residents and board members need to work together to fight solar power plants.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
At the crash site, some of the rescuers find Morrow, who holds them at gunpoint and handcuffs them together in the lab.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffs
Noun
-
The tannins in coffee bind to non-heme iron (the type found in most supplements) and form complexes that are difficult for your body to absorb.—
Lauren Manaker,
SELF,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The bread bakery that sits in the middle If stores aren’t willing to raise prices, that puts wholesalers in a bind.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
From the prohibition against representation that binds the globe in images.—
Timmy Straw,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The fun of watching Survivor is seeing contestants wriggle out of seemingly impossible binds through social skills, but when that becomes impossible, the show renders itself only frustrating.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The blackout means that those without access to Starlink or other ways to communicate have been cut off from communicating with the outside world, which also hampers the ability of Iranians to mobilize against the ruling regime.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
To address this, Ivo uses a multi-step pipeline that chains together more than 400 model calls for each contract review.—
Charlie Fink,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Tokyo Central is owned by Japanese company Pan Pacific Retail Management, which also runs the grocery chains Gelson’s and Don Quijote.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
3 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
In the northeastern state of Alagoas, some prisoners were handed a Kindle with 300 literary works on them, whereas other, more conservative states have heavy bureaucracy which hinders access, Dias said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The instruments used to make antimatter create interference that hinders its study.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Her dad was the credit manager for a local chain of appliance stores, a second-generation Jewish immigrant, and a lifelong Republican.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Teel is the grandson of Raley’s founder Tom Raley, and was hired at the grocery chain in 1976, after college.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Lawmakers reject a bill that ties students’ attendance to driver’s licenses.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Air India is preparing to roll out a policy that ties cabin crew eligibility to Body Mass Index (BMI) standards — a policy that's generating controversy and comment.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Let go of whatever impedes your growth.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The weir prohibits the flow of saltwater into the lagoon and impedes the draining of sediment from the lagoon into the ocean.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffs. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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