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
Relevance
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of handcuffed
Wcco Staff, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
Three women who crossed into Gaza on Monday told the Associated Press a day later that Israeli troops blindfolded and handcuffed them, then interrogated and threatened them, holding them for several hours before they were released.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Tuskegee men’s basketball coach Benjy Taylor was handcuffed after intervening in an incident involving his team and members of Morehouse’s basketball and football teams.
—David Hickey, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
Tuskegee men’s basketball coach Benjy Taylor was briefly handcuffed on the floor after a loss against Morehouse College.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
The judge noted the evidence was thrown out because Brothers was handcuffed and not given a Miranda warning, which advises a person being arrested of their rights, before speaking with detectives.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2026
Clark was later taken to the ground and handcuffed before being escorted inside the ICE office.
—Elainie Barraza, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
In August 2023, a mother driving with her teenage son and young daughter reported that Kirchberg pulled her over for a minor traffic violation and tightly handcuffed her after a license plan scan mistakenly indicated the vehicle was stolen.
—Austin Sanders, Austin American Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
Agents handcuffed him and led him outside in subfreezing conditions in his underwear and Crocs, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders.
—Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
At least one person who had an anti-ICE message on clothing was handcuffed while face-down on the ground.
—Wcco Staff, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
Three women who crossed into Gaza on Monday told the Associated Press a day later that Israeli troops blindfolded and handcuffed them, then interrogated and threatened them, holding them for several hours before they were released.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Tuskegee men’s basketball coach Benjy Taylor was handcuffed after intervening in an incident involving his team and members of Morehouse’s basketball and football teams.
—David Hickey, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
Tuskegee men’s basketball coach Benjy Taylor was briefly handcuffed on the floor after a loss against Morehouse College.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
The judge noted the evidence was thrown out because Brothers was handcuffed and not given a Miranda warning, which advises a person being arrested of their rights, before speaking with detectives.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2026
Clark was later taken to the ground and handcuffed before being escorted inside the ICE office.
—Elainie Barraza, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
In August 2023, a mother driving with her teenage son and young daughter reported that Kirchberg pulled her over for a minor traffic violation and tightly handcuffed her after a license plan scan mistakenly indicated the vehicle was stolen.
—Austin Sanders, Austin American Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
Agents handcuffed him and led him outside in subfreezing conditions in his underwear and Crocs, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders.
—Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffed
Adjective
-
Both Tony and Dick are helpless children of the American Dream — one borne of the system, the other the boss’s literal son, each at the mercy of forces far greater than himself.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Footage then showed McCray carrying her, helpless and disoriented, to a laundry room on Connecticut Street.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The dog first bounded over to his owner, Ryan Pera, to say hi.—
Aviva Bechky,
Houston Chronicle,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Rather than leave, community leaders rallied to defend the site, leading to the creation of Sakura Square and Tamai Tower on the block bounded by Larimer, 20th, Lawrence and 19th Streets.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the wake of the Palisades Fire, Pratt and Montag sued the city of Los Angeles over allegations that water issues hampered firefighting efforts.—
Vivian Kwarm,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The levees that solved its flooding concerns also hampered its growth.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Parents reorganizing their lives around a paralyzed son made complete sense to me.—
Coley Gallagher,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Cuba’s sugar industry is nearly paralyzed because there is no diesel for the tractors and trucks needed to harvest and transport cane to the mills.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Bulls acquired nine second-round picks this week, bringing their total of second-rounders to 14 over the next seven years — tied with the Detroit Pistons for third-most in the league.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
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These include cargo drones like the ones Skyways makes as well as attack drones, for which the Pentagon recently announced a competition for contracts tied to the first phase of its new Drone Dominance Program.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The ministry posted a statement in Spanish on X saying Consulate officials immediately impeded the agents from entering the consulate’s premises, protecting Ecuadorian nationals who were inside the building.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The film follows numerous women, including a journalist, who were impeded in their search for justice thanks to nine-figure defamation suits.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Defense lawyers contend these cases should never have been brought, with weak evidence that juries consistently reject, prompting legal experts to question the prosecution strategy.—
Brittny Mejia,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
But some indications suggest that the jobs report could come in weaker than expected.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The immigrants are shackled and placed on flights to detention facilities in Texas, where they are forced to recount painful asylum claims with limited or no contact with family members or attorneys, lawyers and advocates say.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Mangione, his feet shackled, wore a tan jail suit and sported a chinstrap beard at Friday's hearing, a departure from his usual clean-shaven look.—
MICHAEL R. SISAK,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handcuffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handcuffed. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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