as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
handcuffed by a dearth of funding, the preservation society can do little but stand by as these historic structures deteriorate
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in bound
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 hampered
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffed
Adjective
-
After playing just one division foe over the first six weeks of the season — a three-game sweep of the utterly helpless Colorado Rockies last month — the Dodgers are finally getting into the meat of their division schedule.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2025 -
And Nuggets backup big DeAndre Jordan looked largely helpless at the rim, as the Clippers’ offense got going behind a flurry of hooks from Zubac and waltzes to the rim from Bogdanovic and Kawhi Leonard.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Greatest Hits reappears on one of the four lists on which it’s featured, bounding back onto the Official Albums Sales chart at No. 86.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
-
But exciting structures can emerge from pushing away from that single ideal and exploring, for example, postmodern architecture, where buildings can have aspects that are not strictly bounded by their function.—
Charlie Wood,
Quanta Magazine,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
Caring for a paralyzed dog has not been without its challenges.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
12 May 2025
-
But some economists doubt that resilience will persist, with employers feeling paralyzed by Trump’s confusing on-again off-again tariff blitz.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
7 May 2025
Verb
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But the Vikings are just as formidable — top 10 in points for and against and tied for the most takeaways in football.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
5 Jan. 2025
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The Jaguars are notably 3-9 in one-score games — tied for the most such losses in one season in the Super Bowl era, according to ESPN Stats and Information.—
Scott Phillips,
The Athletic,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The provision was ratified in the late nineteen-eighties, but conservatives allied with the country’s agricultural lobby have long impeded its enforcement.—
Julian Lucas,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Poor governance and economic stewardship have impeded the region’s development and generated the grievances behind the Arab Spring.—
Marwan Muasher,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The report also included a number of ‘weak’ odor sources observed during the study, including odors emanating from the Curaleaf cannabis facility on Britt Road and Goldflower Cannabis facility on Niles Road.—
James Wilkins,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 May 2025
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Thompson’s brother Maurice, who allegedly drove the chasing Chevrolet Equinox, was granted bail in October — indicating a potentially weak case.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2025
Verb
-
The status of the third remained unknown, but snow obstructed a full view of the nest.—
Amanda Kooser,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
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Yoon apologized for his brief martial law decree, but later doubled down and defended the move, arguing the liberal party obstructed his political agenda.—
Sophia Vento,
The Hill,
8 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Handcuffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffed. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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