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
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 handcuffs
Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
Carpenter then tossed Hadid her signature furry pink handcuffs as Hadid blew her a kiss.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Police arrived and detained O’Hara, placing him in handcuffs, the complaint said.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
From Wendy Osefo to Karen Huger to Jen Shah to Luann de Lesseps these reality TV stars have had some run-ins with the law that found them in handcuffs.
—Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
After Durm opened the van’s back doors, Orlando Mitchell used the chain between his handcuffs to choke the deputy, according to court documents.
—Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 21 Oct. 2025
Police said the revolver was loaded and registered to Kabacinski, who had additional ammunition for the weapon as well as handcuffs and handcuff keys on him.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Their presence will allow the shooting guard to play without the offensive handcuffs that can accompany the role of having to carry the scoring load.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025
Like the cumbersome, omnipresent sheriff's duty belt, complete with handgun, handcuffs and the works.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Omar Kelly
august 19, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
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
Baltimore County officials are now calling for a review of how Kenwood High School uses the AI gun detection system and why the teen ended up in handcuffs despite school safety officials quickly determining there was no weapon.
—Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
Carpenter then tossed Hadid her signature furry pink handcuffs as Hadid blew her a kiss.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Police arrived and detained O’Hara, placing him in handcuffs, the complaint said.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
From Wendy Osefo to Karen Huger to Jen Shah to Luann de Lesseps these reality TV stars have had some run-ins with the law that found them in handcuffs.
—Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
After Durm opened the van’s back doors, Orlando Mitchell used the chain between his handcuffs to choke the deputy, according to court documents.
—Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 21 Oct. 2025
Police said the revolver was loaded and registered to Kabacinski, who had additional ammunition for the weapon as well as handcuffs and handcuff keys on him.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Their presence will allow the shooting guard to play without the offensive handcuffs that can accompany the role of having to carry the scoring load.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025
Like the cumbersome, omnipresent sheriff's duty belt, complete with handgun, handcuffs and the works.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
But this unit is two plays — or better yet, two injuries — from being a disaster that handcuffs Miami’s offense, like last year’s unit did, after Grier laughed at the media for its concern about fragile state of the 2024 O-line.
—Omar Kelly
august 19, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
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
-
Similarly to Young in Week 2 against Arizona, Dalton’s giveaways put the Panthers in a bind early.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Oct. 2025
-
That could leave Colorado in a bind this winter.—
Mead Gruver,
Denver Post,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Love binds the Duncans together just as tightly as their secrets, making family both their greatest weapon — and their greatest weakness — in BET+'s The Family Business.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
-
That tells you a lot about the spiritual connection that binds our two countries.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
22 Oct. 2025
-
What truly hampers Regretting You is its inescapable unoriginality, its plodding, uninventive, unthoughtful attempts at swoon and heartbreak.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Texas Roadhouse, which also operates casual dining chains Bubba’s 33 and Jaggers, is expected to report third-quarter results at the end of October.—
Natasha Abellard,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Officials have argued the government shutdown hinders the Department of Agriculture's ability to distribute additional dollars.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Inertia hinders many consumers from seeking out higher rates.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Hard Rock International Hard Rock International is owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida and includes a global chain of theme-bar restaurants, casinos, hotels and museums.—
Melanie Hicken,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
-
An X-ray revealed four chains of magnets stuck together inside his abdomen.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Other than Valak appearing in both The Conjuring 2 and The Nun, there’s no apparent link between the two movies — but in The Nun’s sequel, a plot point emerges that ties the movies together.—
Julie Tremaine,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The book also ties Pennywise’s origins to Derry’s original Native American population in a colonial allegory.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If a mental image only impedes the human’s process of emulation, why should her mindedness make Celmins’s web less natural than the spider’s?—
Harmon Siegel,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Let go of whatever impedes your growth and progress.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffs. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share