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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handcuffed
Adjective
-
Yet the Rocket have been outscored 15-4 through three games, looking helpless against a Checkers team that has gotten red hot at exactly the right time.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
1 June 2025 -
From the dugout at San Siro, Lautaro Martinez and Federico Dimarco were helpless.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
This premise bounds the scope of the rest of this discussion, knowing that the arguments for resuming the last three-quarters of a century into the future centuries have also been articulated in passionate public advocacy.—
Mung Chiang,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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Despite this notion’s connection with settlements and colonialism, its landscape also suggests a tabula rasa, bounding with potential to harness, beauty to reap, and the capability to inspire artistic creativity and love.—
David Katz,
IndieWire,
18 May 2025
Adjective
-
More recently, in a tragic turn of events, he was left paralyzed from the chest down after being thrown from a horse during a polo tournament last year.—
Peter Aitken
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 June 2025
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In Facility Theatre’s new revival of the Irish playwright’s absurdist tragicomedy, the blind and paralyzed character (played by artistic director Kirk Anderson) looks like a slightly steampunk Scrooge, writes Emily McClanathan.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 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
-
In addition to a weak critical reception, the film became mired in controversy due to political comments made by lead actress Rachel Zegler in the run-up to its release; the casting of a Latina actress as the titular character; and the use of CGI to reimagine the seven dwarfs.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
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Global Blue's weak February European shopper data released on March 5 did indeed work as a catalyst.—
Ganesh Rao,
CNBC,
3 June 2025
Verb
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The status of the third remained unknown, but snow obstructed a full view of the nest.—
Amanda Kooser,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
-
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 12 Jun. 2025.
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